Breakdown of Во время войны он пропал без вести.
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
война
war
во время
during
пропасть
to disappear
весть
the news, tidings (f)
Questions & Answers about Во время войны он пропал без вести.
What does the phrase без вести literally mean here?
It literally means "without news" or "without tidings." The word весть means "news," and the preposition без requires the genitive case, making it вести. The full phrase пропасть без вести is the standard expression for going missing, especially in military contexts like "missing in action."
Why is the verb пропал used instead of исчез for "went missing"?
While both verbs translate to "disappeared," пропасть implies becoming lost or going missing, which fits someone lost in a war. Исчезнуть generally means to vanish from sight, like a ghost. Additionally, пропасть is strictly required for the fixed idiom пропасть без вести.
Is вести a plural noun in this sentence?
No, here it is the singular genitive form of the feminine noun весть. Feminine nouns ending in a soft sign belong to the third declension and change the soft sign to -и in the genitive case.
Could I say в войну instead of во время войны?
Yes, you can use either. However, во время войны (literally "at the time of the war") sounds a bit more formal and narrative, which fits the gravity of an official status like missing in action. В войну is slightly more conversational but means the exact same thing.
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