Questions & Answers about Цена весьма высокая.
Why is there no word for is in this sentence?
In Russian, the verb to be is normally omitted in the present tense.
So:
- Цена весьма высокая. = The price is quite high.
There is no present-tense word corresponding to English is here. This is completely normal Russian.
In the past or future, Russian does use forms of to be:
- Цена была весьма высокой. = The price was quite high.
- Цена будет весьма высокой. = The price will be quite high.
Why does высокая end in -ая?
Because it must agree with цена.
The noun цена is:
- feminine
- singular
- nominative
So the adjective also has to be:
- feminine
- singular
- nominative
That gives:
- masculine: высокий
- feminine: высокая
- neuter: высокое
- plural: высокие
So:
- высокая цена = a high price
- цена высокая = the price is high
What case are the words in here?
Both цена and высокая are in the nominative case.
- цена is the subject
- высокая is the predicate adjective describing the subject
This is a very common pattern in Russian:
- Дом большой. = The house is big.
- Погода хорошая. = The weather is good.
- Цена высокая. = The price is high.
What does весьма mean exactly?
Весьма means something like:
- quite
- rather
- very
- considerably
The exact translation depends on context and tone.
In this sentence, Цена весьма высокая suggests something like:
- The price is quite high
- The price is rather high
A useful thing to know: весьма sounds a bit more formal or bookish than очень.
Compare:
- Цена очень высокая. = neutral, everyday
- Цена весьма высокая. = more formal, polished, sometimes slightly literary
Can I replace весьма with очень?
Yes.
Цена очень высокая is perfectly natural and probably more common in everyday speech.
Compare the tone:
- очень = the standard everyday word for very
- весьма = more formal, refined, or written
So both are correct, but they do not sound exactly the same stylistically.
Why does Russian use high for a price? Is that the same metaphor as in English?
Yes, basically the same idea.
Russian says:
- высокая цена = high price
- низкая цена = low price
So this works very much like English:
- Цена высокая. = The price is high.
- Цена низкая. = The price is low.
This is a normal and standard way to talk about prices.
Could I say Цена весьма высока instead of Цена весьма высокая?
Yes, you could. That uses the short form adjective:
- высокая = full form
- высока = short form
So both are possible:
- Цена весьма высокая
- Цена весьма высока
The difference is mostly stylistic:
- высокая sounds more neutral and common in modern speech
- высока sounds a bit more formal, concise, or bookish
For many learners, the full form высокая is the safer everyday choice.
Is the word order fixed?
No, Russian word order is fairly flexible, but changing it can change the focus or emphasis.
Neutral statement:
- Цена весьма высокая. = The price is quite high.
Other possibilities:
- Весьма высокая цена. = A rather high price / Quite a high price
This is now a noun phrase, not quite the same sentence structure. - Высокая цена. = A high price
- Цена высокая. = The price is high
So the original order is natural and straightforward for a full statement.
Why is there no article like the or a?
Russian has no articles.
So цена can mean:
- the price
- a price
Which one is meant depends on the context.
In this sentence, English usually translates it as the price is quite high, but Russian itself does not mark that distinction with an article.
How do I pronounce Цена весьма высокая?
A simple learner-friendly pronunciation guide is:
- це-на́
- весь-ма́
- вы-со́-ка-я
Main stresses:
- цена́
- весьма́
- высо́кая
Very rough English-style approximation:
- tsy-na
- vyes-MA
- vy-SO-ka-ya
A few notes:
- ц sounds like ts
- stressed syllables are important in Russian
- unstressed vowels are often reduced in actual speech
Does this sentence sound natural in everyday Russian?
Yes, but with a small note about style.
- Цена высокая. = very natural, neutral
- Цена очень высокая. = very natural, common
- Цена весьма высокая. = natural, but a bit more formal or polished
So the sentence is correct and natural, but весьма gives it a slightly more formal tone than ordinary conversation often has.
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