Learn Hardcore Russian: Я бегаю хорошо.

бегаю is the first person singular form of the imperfective verb бегать. This conjugation indicates that the speaker habitually or generally engages in running. In other words, it translates to “I run” in a general or repeated sense.

How does the adverb хорошо function in the sentence, and why is it in its adverbial form?

хорошо is an adverb meaning “well” that modifies the verb бегаю. In Russian, when you want to express the manner in which an action is performed, you use the adverbial form. That’s why хорошо correctly tells us that the running is done well, rather than describing a noun.

Why is the subject Я explicitly mentioned even though the verb ending already indicates the first person?

Russian verbs carry enough information in their endings to indicate the subject, which means the pronoun can be dropped. However, including Я adds clarity or emphasis, much like saying “I personally run well.” It’s a stylistic choice that reinforces who is performing the action.

Can the word order be rearranged, such as saying Я хорошо бегаю, without changing the overall meaning?

Yes, the word order in Russian is flexible. Saying Я хорошо бегаю is perfectly acceptable and conveys the same meaning. While both orders are correct, the slight variation may subtly shift the emphasis—for instance, placing хорошо before бегаю might slightly highlight the quality of running.