Question 1

Why do we use при всём here instead of при всей?

Accepted Answer

The form of весь (all) must match the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies. The noun here is изящество (elegance), which is neuter. Since the preposition при requires the Prepositional case, we use the neuter Prepositional form всём. If the noun were feminine, like красота (beauty), you would instead say при всей красоте.

Question 2

Does при всём mean the exact same thing as несмотря на (despite)?

Accepted Answer

They have the same core meaning, and you could certainly say несмотря на всё изящество. However, the при всём + Prepositional structure is a set phrase that maps directly to the English "for all its...". It is a slightly more elegant construction that is almost exclusively used with abstract nouns describing a quality or state (like elegance, desire, or respect).

Question 3

The English translation says "for all its elegance." Why is there no word for "its" in the Russian sentence?

Accepted Answer

Russian frequently drops possessive pronouns when the context makes it completely obvious who or what possesses the trait. Since эта ваза (this vase) is the subject of the sentence, it is already clear that we are talking about the vase's own elegance. Adding a possessive like своём or её here would sound clunky and redundant to a native speaker.

Question 4

Could I use the short-form adjective прочна instead of the long-form прочная here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, эта ваза очень прочна is grammatically correct. However, short adjectives often sound more literary, formal, or poetic. The long form прочная is used here to state a permanent, defining characteristic of the vase in a way that sounds natural for standard, everyday speech.

При всём изяществе эта ваза очень прочная.

Breakdown of При всём изяществе эта ваза очень прочная.

Questions & Answers about При всём изяществе эта ваза очень прочная.

Learn При всём изяществе эта ваза очень прочная and more in Russian