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вспоминать важные для него события

{vs}: вспоминать важные события

I'm assuming the prepositional phrase "для него", coupled with "важные", attributively modifies the noun "события". Is it common in Russian to use a phrase like "для него" as part of piled-up attributive adjectives?

If so, I also wonder if it is possible to move "для него" to other positions. Or does "для него" lose its attributive value at these positions?

вспоминать для него важные события

вспоминать важные события для него

This type of piled-up attributive adjectives exists in German as well, though it sounds rather formal. What about in Russian?

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  • 3
    In your two last examples (especially the last one) для него tends to detach from важные and stick to вспоминать.
    – AlexVB
    Apr 21, 2018 at 6:53
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    yes it makes the sentence have the meaning of recalling for him rather than important for him, which is odd unless there's some other actor for whom the recollection is being done as a service or a favor
    – Баян Купи-ка
    Apr 21, 2018 at 7:08
  • @БаянКупи-ка Can I consider "вспоминать важные для него события" to literally mean "recall important-to-him events"?
    – Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
    Apr 21, 2018 at 12:57
  • @Alone-zee absolutely, i would call важные для него an indivisible compliment, it can be meaningfully divided in spoken language, but then для него receives intonational emphasis which is not possible in writing, the structure of such sentence would look like вспоминать важные события, [short pause] для негO like in English to recall important events, to him (that is)
    – Баян Купи-ка
    Apr 21, 2018 at 14:04

4 Answers 4

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The phrase для него actually modifies the meaning of the adjective важные here, from 'absolutely important' into 'personally important', so it tends to follow that adjective in case of changing the word order, e. g. another possible version:

вспоминать события, важные для него

The last two examples from the question sound a bit strange and mean that somebody tries to recall some (absolutely) important events in order to help somebody else (the mentioned person).

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The "важные для него события" is indeed the standard form. Can you move "для него" to the other parts of the expression? Actually, you can. The use would get somewhat context and style specific, though.

"Важные события -- для него": "events are important, but exactly/only/just for him". Intonational stress on "для него".

"...для него важные события, (для него важные дела, ...)": this inversion could be used in a phrase with repetitive structure, enumerating similar items "important just/personally for him". Usable in rather specific context and style, but still. Again, intonational stress on "для него".

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вспоминать важные для него события - the events important to him

вспоминать важные события - remembering some events important in general, not necessarily important to him, personally. The 1812 War was an important event, and I can remember it, but it's not really "важное для меня событие".

вспоминать для него важные события

вспоминать важные события для него

both sound wrong to my ear, especially the last one. The first one I can "swallow" but wouldn't say myself.

Could be:

вспоминать события, важные для него

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    Technically, вспоминать для него важные события shall work, but it puts very strong emphasis on для него and makes it sound unusual.
    – AlexVB
    Apr 21, 2018 at 6:41
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I'd answer the second part.

вспоминать для него важные события

is not very nicely written, as other answers outline, but means "to remember events, important for him", as probably intended.

вспоминать важные события для него

does not convey the feeling that the one, who is remembering, and the one for who the events are important, are the same person. So it's like "[the investigator was asking for details, so John Doe started] remembering the events, important for him", here the last "him" is not clearly stated, but implies that it's important for investigator and not John Doe.

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