Breakdown of Проводник сказал идти этой узкой тропой.
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
идти
to go (on foot) / to proceed, go (of a process)
сказать
to tell, to say
узкий
narrow
проводник
guide (pathfinder, train conductor)
тропа
trail
Questions & Answers about Проводник сказал идти этой узкой тропой.
Why is этой узкой тропой in the instrumental case without any preposition?
This is the Bare Instrumental of Route. In Russian, you can use the instrumental case without a preposition to describe the continuous physical space or path you are moving along. It translates roughly to "by way of" or "along" this narrow trail.
Could I say по этой узкой тропе instead?
Yes, using по plus the dative case (по этой узкой тропе) is extremely common and means the exact same thing. The bare instrumental (этой узкой тропой) is just a slightly more descriptive or literary alternative, emphasizing the trail itself as the instrument of travel.
Why is the imperfective verb идти used here rather than a perfective like пойти?
The focus here is on the process of walking along the trail, not just setting off or completing a trip. When giving instructions about following a continuous route, the imperfective идти is natural because it highlights the ongoing action of moving along that specific path.
Why is the command phrased as сказал идти instead of using чтобы?
Both are correct for reporting a command. Using сказал directly followed by an infinitive is a very natural and concise way to report instructions in Russian (similar to "said to walk" in English). You will often see this infinitive shortcut when the person receiving the command is obvious from context.
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