Сыроежка не червивая.

not

Breakdown of Сыроежка не червивая.

• сыроежка: the russula mushroom
• червивый: worm-eaten

Questions & Answers about Сыроежка не червивая.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

In Russian, the present-tense form of to be is usually omitted.

So:

• Сыроежка червивая. = The russula is wormy.
• Сыроежка не червивая. = The russula is not wormy.

Russian does not normally say есть here. Using есть in a sentence like this would sound unnatural in standard modern Russian.

Why does сыроежка end in -а, and what gender is it?

Сыроежка is a feminine singular noun. Many Russian nouns ending in -а or -я are feminine.

That matters because the adjective has to agree with it in:

• gender
• number
• case

So because сыроежка is feminine singular nominative, the adjective also appears in the feminine singular nominative form: червивая.

Why is it червивая and not червивый?

Russian adjectives change their endings to match the noun they describe.

Here the noun is:

• сыроежка — feminine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective must match:

• masculine: червивый
• feminine: червивая
• neuter: червивое
• plural: червивые

That is why the sentence uses червивая.