Breakdown of В общем, мы решили остаться дома.
дома
at home
мы
we
остаться
to stay
решить
to decide (perfective)
в общем
in general, all in all
Questions & Answers about В общем, мы решили остаться дома.
How does В общем in this sentence differ from Вообще?
While both can translate to "in general", в общем is used here to summarize a previous thought or wrap up a story, much like "anyway", "in short", or "all in all" in English. Вообще is broader and means "generally" or "at all" when speaking about universal facts or habits.
Could we use В общем-то instead of В общем here?
You could, but it changes the tone slightly. Adding the particle -то usually implies a slight contrast, hesitation, or concession, similar to "actually" or "by and large". Here, the plain в общем acts as a straightforward summary or transition meaning "anyway".
Why is there a comma after В общем?
In Russian, introductory words (вводные слова) that structure the flow of speech or express the speaker's attitude must be separated by commas. Because в общем is acting as an introductory phrase summarizing the previous context, the comma is mandatory.
Why do we use the perfective verb остаться (to stay) here instead of the imperfective оставаться?
Russian prefers the perfective aspect when referring to a single, specific result or a one-time completed action. Because the speakers made a specific decision to stay home for this one particular occasion, остаться is used. If they had decided to always stay home on weekends, you would use the imperfective оставаться.
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