Вы говорите очень хорошо по-русски.

to speak

Breakdown of Вы говорите очень хорошо по-русски.

• вы: you
• очень: very
• хорошо: well

Questions & Answers about Вы говорите очень хорошо по-русски.

What is the significance of the pronoun Вы in this sentence?

In Russian, Вы is used as the formal "you" or when addressing more than one person. Its use here indicates a level of politeness or respect, distinguishing it from the informal ты.

Why is the verb говорите used, and how is it correctly conjugated for Вы?

Говорите is the present tense, second person plural (or formal singular) form of the verb говорить (“to speak”). Because Вы is the subject, the verb ends in -ете to agree with this formal/plural form.

Why is the language expressed as по-русски rather than using the adjective русский?

Russian expresses the ability to speak a language using an adverbial form. По-русски literally means “in Russian” and is formed by combining the preposition по- with the language root, including a hyphen. Using русский (an adjective) would not correctly describe the manner in which one speaks.

What role does the phrase очень хорошо play in the sentence?

The phrase очень хорошо modifies the verb говорите. Хорошо is an adverb meaning “well,” and очень intensifies it to “very well,” indicating a high degree of proficiency.