Learn Hardcore Russian: Когда тебе скучно дома, возьми книгу и читай в парке. - When you are bored at home, take a book and read in the park.

Когда тебе скучно дома, возьми книгу и читай в парке.

When you are bored at home, take a book and read in the park.

Breakdown of Когда тебе скучно дома, возьми книгу и читай в парке.

Questions & Answers about Когда тебе скучно дома, возьми книгу и читай в парке.

Why is тебе in the dative case here?

In Russian, the adjective скучно is part of an impersonal construction that names the person experiencing a feeling. That experiencer always stands in the dative case. So тебе literally means “to you,” and тебе скучно means “you are bored.”

What is the role of дома in this sentence? Why is there no preposition?

Here дома is not the noun дом (“house”) with a case ending; it’s an adverb meaning “at home.” As an adverb, it doesn’t take a case or preposition. It simply tells us where you are bored.

Why is there a comma after дома?

The comma separates the subordinate clause Когда тебе скучно дома (“When you feel bored at home”) from the main clause возьми книгу и читай в парке (“take a book and read in the park”). In Russian, just like in English, you put a comma after an introductory “when…” clause.

Why are the verbs возьми and читай in the imperative mood? Who is the subject?

Both возьми (“take!”) and читай (“read!”) are commands directed at ты (the informal “you”). In Russian imperatives, the subject ты is usually omitted because it’s understood from the verb ending.