Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Russian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Мой дом старый.
Why is there no word equivalent to "is" in the sentence Мой дом старый?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb быть (to be) is typically omitted. The relationship between the subject and its predicate adjective is understood without explicitly using a linking verb. This is why Мой дом старый translates to My house is old even though there’s no word for "is".
What does Мой mean, and why is it used in this sentence?
Мой is the masculine singular possessive adjective meaning "my." It is used here because дом (house) is a masculine noun. In Russian, possessive adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case—in this case, all are masculine, singular, and nominative.
How do adjectives agree with the noun in Мой дом старый?
Both Мой and старый are adjectives that modify дом. They agree with дом in gender (masculine), number (singular), and case (nominative). This agreement is essential in Russian grammar to clearly indicate which noun is being described or possessed.
Why is старый placed after дом instead of directly before it?