Word
При малейшей опасности мыши начинают разбегаться.
Meaning
At the slightest danger, the mice start to scatter.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of При малейшей опасности мыши начинают разбегаться.
мышь
mouse
начинать
to begin
опасность
the danger
при
in the presence of, under, at
Questions & Answers about При малейшей опасности мыши начинают разбегаться.
How does the word разбегаться literally mean to scatter?
It is built from the multi-directional verb of motion бегать (to run). Adding the prefix раз- and the reflexive particle -ся creates the specific meaning of multiple subjects moving away from a central point in different directions.
Why is the imperfective verb разбегаться used here instead of a perfective form?
The verb начинают (start) is a phase verb. In Russian, any verb that indicates the beginning, continuation, or end of an action must always be followed by an imperfective infinitive, regardless of how quickly the action happens.
What is the base form of the adjective малейшей?
The base form is малейший, which is a special superlative form of маленький (small). It is used to mean the absolute slightest or smallest degree of something. Here it is in the prepositional case to match опасности.
Why do we use the preposition при in this sentence?
The preposition при followed by the prepositional case is frequently used to describe the conditions or circumstances under which an event occurs. It translates conceptually to in the presence of or in the event of danger.