Time to Speak Russian__Grammar Notes

20.06.2015 Time to Speak Russian::Grammar Notes

For example:

Это я. Этой мой дом.

Вот мой друг. Мы давно знаем его жену.

Здесь учатся студенты. Я покажу тебе их аудиторию.

In addition to the possessive pronouns, we can use a reflexive­possessive pronoun "свой" to indicate that an object belongs t the subject in a sentence.

The pronoun "свой" is inflected (modified) for gender, case and number in exactly the same way as possessive pronouns:

Attention! A noun in the Nominative case can only by accompanied by a possessive pronoun (мой, твой, наш, ваш, etc.). Th never used with the Nominative case noun.

"Это я, это мой друг". ­ "This is I, this is my friend". "Друг" is the sentence subject indicated by a noun in the Nominative

"Вчера к нам пришли в гости наши друзья". – "Yesterday our friends came to visit us". "Друзья" is the sentence subject the Nominative case (1).

The reflexive­possessive pronoun "свой" is used only if the agent and the possessor in the sentence is one and the same perso

Please, note that sentences with possessive pronouns and sentences with the reflexive­possessive pronoun "свой" differ in me

VERBAL ASPECTS (CONTINUED).

Using imperfective verbs to express that an action is, indeed, taking place and that

When we want to indicate that an action is/was taking place for a specific time period, we always use imperfective verbs and indicate the action duration. For example: долго (for a long time), недолго (for a short time), пять минут (for five minutes), year) etc. Word combinations that indicate duration must be put in the Accusative case (4).

Вчера я работал весь вечер.

Ты говоришь по телефону два часа!

20.06.2015 Time to Speak Russian::Grammar Notes

The simple future tense is used to indicate a one­time action or action's end­result in the future:

Compare the conjugation of perfective and imperfective verbs:

Reflexive verbs

There is a gorup of verbs in Russian that end in ­ся. Ся is a reduction of a reflexive pronoun себя that became a part of a verb. Com

фотографировать себя = фотографироваться

одевать себя = одеваться

Such verbs are called "reflexive". They conjugate a bit differently: a personal verbal ending is added not at the end but rather is plac stem and the particle ­ся. Please, note that the particle itself also changes depending on the ending.

Reflexive "­ся" verbs can also indicate a reciprocal action. In this case "­ся" means "друг друга" (each other):

Please, note! Reflexive verbs exibit the same root consonant alternation patterns and suffixes changes as non­reflexive verbs.

Dative Case

Dative case indicating an addressee

When we speak, we usually address somebody. A person whom a speech or action addresses is usually indicated by a noun in the D answers the question КОМУ? (to whom?)

In Russian animate and inanimate nouns indicating the adressee are put in the Dative case (3) and after a verb.

Attention! Nouns denoting direct objects take the Accusative case (4). Nous denoting indirect objects (addressees) take the Dative ca After some verbs you can use an infinitive to describe an action more precisely.

1.In the Russian language, nouns in the Dative case are also used to indicate an addressee of a letter/email or a telegram.

2.When we talk about cultural and historic monuments, a noun indicating the person to whom the monument is dedicated, also alwa

Памятник Пушкину Памятник Чайковскому

Памятник Петру Первому

3. If a motion is directed towards a person, we also use the Dative case with the preposition "К":

Марина сейчас едет в гости к Петру.

Вера вечером Иван пришел к Татьяне на день рожденья. Compare:

Идти, ехать (куда? – место – Винительный падеж) ­ в театр, на выставку, на работу Идти, ехать (к кому? – человек – Дательный падеж) ­ к Маше, к Виктору, к родителям

Verbs of motion with prefixes

Adding prefixes to the verbs "ИДТИ́/ Е́ХАТЬ" creates verbs with new connotations. The most commonly used prefixes are ПО­, П REMEMBER! The verbs "прийти́/ прие́хать", "по́йти / пое́хать", "уйти́/ уе́хать" are perfective verbs!

ПРИЙТИ, ПРИЕХАТЬ

When a motion is directed towards an objective, and we want to say that we have (or haven’t) reached it, we use verbs with the prefi "приехать". These verbs are also perfective.

Он пришёл на рабо́ту. = Он на рабо́те.

Он прие́хал в Москву́. = Он в Москве́.

The verbs "прийти́/ прие́хать" can also mean “to return”.

"Я до́лго гуля́ла вче́ра и пришла́(= верну́лась) домо́й то́лько в 11 ве́чера" ­ "Yesterday I walked for a long time and came home Take a look at how these verbs conjugate:

ПОЙТИ, ПОЕХАТЬ

The verbs ПОЙТИ́and ПОЕ́ХАТЬ are derived from the verbs ИДТИ́и ЕХАТЬ́ ; the prefix ПО­ is added, and they become perfecti how "идти́/ пойти́", "е́хать / пое́хать" conjugate and compare them: