Learn Hardcore Russian: Я поживаю хорошо, потому что у меня много друзей. - I am doing well because I have many friends.

Поживаю comes from the verb поживать, which means “to be faring” or “to be getting along.” It’s often used in greetings (for example, in reply to “Как поживаешь?”) to indicate one’s general well‐being over a period, rather than just stating where or how one lives. In contrast, живу more literally means “live” (as in residing) and doesn’t convey the same sense of well-being.

What role does the adverb хорошо play in this sentence, and why is it placed after поживаю?

The adverb хорошо modifies the verb поживаю by describing the manner in which the speaker is faring—namely, “well.” In Russian, it’s typical for such adverbs to follow the verb they modify. This placement emphasizes the quality of the state or condition being expressed.

How does потому что function grammatically in this sentence, and are there any alternatives?

Потому что is a subordinating conjunction that means “because.” It connects the main clause (Я поживаю хорошо) with the subordinate clause (у меня много друзей) that explains the reason for the good state. Alternatives like так как or the more formal and somewhat archaic ибо can also introduce causal clauses, but потому что is the most common in everyday speech.

Why is possession expressed with у меня instead of using a verb equivalent to “have” as in English?

Russian typically expresses possession by using the construction у + [pronoun in the genitive case] (in this case, у меня, literally “at me”). This structure serves as a substitute for the verb “to have.” Rather than saying “Я имею,” which is less common and sounds awkward in everyday conversation, Russian speakers convey possession with у меня много друзей (“I have many friends”).

Why is друзей in the genitive plural form instead of the nominative plural друзья?

When using quantifiers like много (“many”), the noun that follows must be in the genitive plural form in Russian. Therefore, друзей is used to agree with много, forming the phrase много друзей, which translates to “many friends.”

Is the comma before потому что necessary, and what does it indicate?

Yes, the comma before потому что is necessary. It separates the main clause (Я поживаю хорошо) from the subordinate clause (у меня много друзей) that provides the reason. This punctuation follows Russian rules regarding the separation of independent and dependent clauses.