Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Russian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Учитель сидит в классе.
How does the preposition в determine the case of классе in this sentence?
The preposition в here indicates location, so it requires the noun класс to be in the prepositional case—in this case, классе. This usage shows where the action is taking place (i.e., "in the classroom").
What is the tense and aspect of the verb сидит?
The verb сидит is in the present tense, third person singular form of сидеть. Since сидеть is imperfective, it describes an ongoing or habitual action—in this sentence, it tells us that the teacher is currently in the state of sitting.
Why are there no articles like the before учитель and классе?
Russian does not use articles such as a or the. The specificity (or generality) of nouns like учитель and классе is understood from context rather than from explicit articles, which is why they appear without any additional words.
What is the sentence structure of Учитель сидит в классе, and can the order be changed?
This sentence follows a typical Subject-Verb-Location pattern: учитель (subject), сидит (verb), в классе (location). Although Russian allows for flexible word order (which can be rearranged for emphasis), this standard structure clearly identifies who is performing the action and where it occurs.
Why isn’t a separate form of the verb to be used in the sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb to be is usually omitted. The action is conveyed directly by сидит without needing an extra copula like "is." This omission is common in Russian sentences, making statements more concise while still fully communicating the meaning.