Learn Hardcore Russian: Река течёт спокойно под старым мостом. - The river flows calmly under the old bridge.

The phrase под старым мостом means “under the old bridge.” In Russian, when describing a fixed location using the preposition под, the instrumental case is used. This is why both the adjective старым (from старый) and the noun мостом (from мост) appear in their instrumental forms.

What is the significance of the verb течёт in this sentence?

The verb течёт is the third-person singular present-tense form of течь, which means “to flow.” Since the subject река (“river”) is a singular noun (and feminine), the verb is correctly conjugated to agree with it. Additionally, течь is an imperfective verb, emphasizing a continuous or ongoing action.

How does the adverb спокойно function in the sentence?

Спокойно is an adverb that describes the manner in which the river flows. It modifies the verb течёт, indicating that the river flows calmly or peacefully. Adverbs like спокойно do not change form regardless of the sentence’s other elements.

Why does the preposition под require the instrumental case in this context?

In Russian, many prepositions can govern different cases depending on the context. When под is used to indicate a stationary location or position (as in “under the bridge”), it requires the instrumental case. In contrast, if it described a direction of movement (“to go under the bridge”), it would typically take the accusative case. Here, it clearly expresses a locative sense.

Is the word order in Река течёт спокойно под старым мостом flexible, and what should a learner keep in mind about such rearrangements?

Russian features a relatively free word order because the cases mark the grammatical relationships between words. The sentence follows a natural Subject–Verb–Adverb–Prepositional Phrase order (with Река as the subject and под старым мостом specifying the location). Although you can rearrange the sentence (for example, Под старым мостом течёт река спокойно), doing so may shift the emphasis slightly. Learners should always ensure that the case endings remain consistent so that the meaning stays clear.