Learn Hardcore Russian: У меня есть возможность посетить новый курс русского языка. - I have the opportunity to attend a new Russian language course.

The phrase У меня есть literally translates to “at me there is”. This construction is the standard way to indicate possession in Russian. Instead of directly saying “I have” as in English, Russian expresses ownership by stating that something exists by or at someone. For example, У меня есть книга means “I have a book”.

Why is the infinitive посетить used after возможность, and why is it in the perfective aspect?

In Russian, after nouns that denote opportunities or possibilities—like возможность (opportunity)—it’s common to follow with an infinitive to specify the action available. The verb посетить translates to “to attend” or “to visit” and is used in the perfective aspect to indicate a single, complete action rather than an ongoing process. This aspect choice implies that if you act on the opportunity, you are expected to complete the action of attending the course.

Why is русского языка in the genitive case instead of the nominative when describing the курс?

In the phrase курс русского языка, the words русского языка are in the genitive case because they specify the subject matter of the course. This construction is similar to saying “a course of Russian language”, where the genitive case denotes a relationship or possession. The genitive in this context helps clarify that the course is about the Russian language.

Is there any difference between saying У меня есть возможность and Я имею возможность?

Both phrases mean “I have the opportunity”, but their usage differs in style. У меня есть возможность is the most common and idiomatic way to express possession in everyday Russian. In contrast, Я имею возможность is grammatically correct but tends to sound more formal or literary. Most native speakers would prefer the former in casual conversation.

Can the word order in the sentence be rearranged for emphasis, or is the given structure fixed?

Russian has a flexible word order thanks to its inflected nature. Although У меня есть возможность посетить новый курс русского языка follows a natural, neutral pattern, you can rearrange the sentence to emphasize different parts. For instance, placing возможность at the beginning—Возможность посетить новый курс русского языка у меня есть—can highlight the opportunity itself. However, it’s important to ensure that the meaning remains clear when altering the word order.