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Questions & Answers about Я объяснил грамматику другу.
Why is другу in the dative case instead of the accusative?
In Russian, the verb объяснить (to explain) requires the person receiving the explanation to be in the dative case. Другу (“to a friend”) shows who is benefiting or receiving the explanation, which is why it isn’t in the accusative case.
Why does грамматика change to грамматику in this sentence?
Грамматика is a feminine noun. When it appears as a direct object in the accusative case, many feminine nouns ending in -а change their ending to -у. That’s why грамматика becomes грамматику here.
What information does the verb form объяснил provide about the speaker?
The verb объяснил is in the masculine singular past tense. This tells you that the speaker is male. If the speaker were female, the past tense form would be объяснила.
Can the word order be rearranged, for example as Я другу объяснил грамматику, without changing the meaning?
Yes, Russian word order is quite flexible. Both Я объяснил грамматику другу and Я другу объяснил грамматику are grammatically correct. Changing the order may slightly alter the emphasis (for instance, highlighting the recipient over the subject or object), but it does not change the overall meaning of the sentence.
Why isn’t there a preposition like “to” before другу even though English requires it?
In Russian, the dative case inherently signals the indirect object or recipient of an action. With verbs such as объяснить, the dative ending on другу makes it clear that the explanation is directed “to a friend,” eliminating the need for any preposition.
Why are there no articles in the sentence, unlike in English where we use “the” or “a”?
Russian does not use articles. This means that nouns in Russian appear without words equivalent to "the" or "a." In Я объяснил грамматику другу, the meaning is communicated entirely through the nouns and their cases, which is typical for Russian grammar.