Соседи редко приходят в гости.

Neighbors rarely come to visit.

Breakdown of Соседи редко приходят в гости.

• сосед: the neighbor
• редко: rarely
• приходить в гости: to come to visit

Questions & Answers about Соседи редко приходят в гости.

What does Соседи mean, and why is it in the plural form?

Соседи means neighbors. It’s plural because you’re talking about more than one person; the singular is сосед (a neighbor).

What role does редко play, and where can it go in the sentence?

редко means rarely. It’s an adverb modifying the verb приходят. In Russian, adverbs of frequency usually sit right before or after the verb:

• Соседи редко приходят в гости.
• Соседи приходят в гости редко.
  Both are correct, though the first is more common.

Why is приходят in the imperfective form, and what does that imply?

приходят is the imperfective present‑tense form of приходить (“to come” habitually). The imperfective aspect indicates repeated or habitual action (“they come often” or “they rarely come”). A perfective verb (e.g., прийти) would refer to a single, completed action, usually in the past: Соседи пришли в гости (“The neighbors came to visit [once]”).

What does в гости mean, and why is it in the accusative case?

в гости is a fixed expression meaning “to visit (as a guest).” Here в takes the accusative case (гости) because the verb приходят expresses motion toward something. Even though гость (“guest”) is singular, the phrase always uses the plural гости.

Could I drop в гости and just say Соседи редко приходят?

No—“Соседи редко приходят” feels incomplete (“The neighbors rarely come…” but where?). Russian needs direction or context. You can say Соседи редко приходят к нам (“The neighbors rarely come over to our place”), or Соседи редко приходят в гости, which emphasizes the act of visiting.

What’s the difference between в гости and в гостях?

• в гости (accusative) = “to come/ go visit.” Example: Я иду в гости к друзьям (“I’m going to visit friends”).
• в гостях (prepositional) = “to be visiting” or “to be a guest.” Example: Сейчас я в гостях у бабушки (“I’m currently visiting Grandma”).

Why don’t we say к соседям instead of в гости?

к соседям literally means “to the neighbors” (direction toward them) but doesn’t carry the nuance of “visiting socially.” приходить в гости is the standard way to say “to come/ come over for a visit.”

How do I avoid confusing в гости (“to visit”) with в гостиную (“into the living room”)?

They look similar, but:

• в гости = “to pay a visit.”
• в гостиную = accusative of гостиная (“living room”), i.e. “into the living room.”
  Remember гости (guests) vs. гостиная (living room).