Я жду друга на минуту.

the friend

Breakdown of Я жду друга на минуту.

• я: I
• на: for
• минута: the minute

Questions & Answers about Я жду друга на минуту.

Why is the noun for “friend” written as друга instead of друг?

In Russian, when a masculine animate noun is the direct object of a verb, its accusative form typically mirrors the genitive form. Since друг is a masculine animate noun, the accusative becomes друга rather than remaining unchanged. This helps distinguish animate objects in the sentence.

What does the phrase на минуту indicate in this sentence?

The phrase на минуту specifies a planned time duration, meaning “for a minute.” In Russian, when indicating the length of time intended for an action (especially a short, definite period), the preposition на is used with the accusative case. It clearly communicates that the speaker intends to wait only a minute.

Why is there no preposition before друга even though in English we say “wait for a friend”?

Russian verbs like ждать (“to wait”) take their direct objects without requiring a preposition. The meaning of “waiting for someone” is inherent in the verb itself, so друга follows immediately after жду. Adding a preposition isn’t needed and would actually be ungrammatical in this context.

Is the word order in Я жду друга на минуту fixed, or can it be changed?