Я объясняю слово другу.

I am explaining a word to a friend.

Breakdown of Я объясняю слово другу.

• друг: the friend
• я: I
• слово: the word
• объяснять: to explain

Questions & Answers about Я объясняю слово другу.

What is the overall meaning and structure of the sentence "Я объясняю слово другу."?

The sentence means "I am explaining the word to a friend." Its structure is straightforward: Я is the subject ("I"), объясняю is the verb in the first person singular present tense ("explain/am explaining"), слово is the direct object ("word"), and другу is the indirect object in the dative case ("to a friend").

Why is the noun "друг" changed to "другу" in this sentence?

In Russian, when a person is the recipient of an action—such as when you explain something to someone—the noun takes the dative case. The form другу reflects the dative singular of друг (friend). This shows that the friend is the indirect object of the verb.

What is the base form of the verb "объясняю" and how is it conjugated?

The base (infinitive) form of объясняю is объяснять, which means "to explain." In this sentence, it is conjugated in the first person singular present tense, corresponding to "I explain" or "I am explaining."

Why does "слово" remain unchanged in form even though it is the direct object?

Слово is a neuter noun, and in neuter nouns the nominative and accusative cases are identical. Since the direct object typically takes the accusative case but appears the same as the nominative for neuter nouns, слово remains unchanged.

Can the word order be rearranged in this sentence without changing its meaning?

Yes, Russian has a relatively flexible word order. For example, the sentence can also be structured as "Я другу объясняю слово." While both orders are grammatically correct, changing the word order can subtly shift the emphasis within the sentence—highlighting either the act of explaining or the recipient of the explanation.

Are there any nuances to be aware of when using the verb "объяснять" in Russian compared to the English "to explain"?

Although объяснять functions similarly to the English verb "to explain," a key nuance is the requirement to use the dative case for the person receiving the explanation. Additionally, understanding the verb’s conjugation patterns and the case requirements for its objects (direct object in the accusative and indirect object in the dative) is important for proper usage in Russian.