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Questions & Answers about Грамматика сложная.
What case is грамматика in?
Грамматика is in the nominative case (именительный падеж). It functions as the subject of the sentence.
Why is there no verb to be (e.g. is) in this sentence?
In Russian, the present‐tense copula (быть – “to be”) is usually omitted. So Грамматика сложная literally means “Grammar (is) complicated.”
Why does the adjective сложная end with -ая?
Adjectives in Russian must agree with their noun in gender, number, and case. Грамматика is feminine singular nominative, so the adjective takes the feminine nominative ending -ая.
How can I tell that грамматика is feminine?
Most Russian nouns ending in -а or -я are feminine. Грамматика follows this pattern, so it’s feminine.
Where is the stress in грамматика and сложная?
- грамматика: stress on the second syllable – гра́мматика (gra-MA-ti-ka).
- сложная: stress on the first syllable – сло́жная (SLOZH-na-ya).
Can I say Сложная грамматика instead of Грамматика сложная?
Yes. Russian word order is flexible:
• Грамматика сложная – a neutral statement (“Grammar is complicated”).
• Сложная грамматика – places emphasis on the fact that the grammar is complicated.
Could I use the short-form adjective сложна here?
Yes. Short-form adjectives exist in Russian and are often more formal or literary. You can say Грамматика сложна, which also means “Grammar is complicated.”
What’s the difference between сложная and трудная?
• сложная focuses on complexity or many interconnected parts (“complicated”).
• трудная focuses on effort or difficulty (“difficult”).
So Грамматика сложная highlights complexity, while Грамматика трудная emphasizes that it’s hard to learn.
Why are there no articles like the or a in Russian?
Russian has no definite or indefinite articles. Context, word order, and other modifiers (e.g., этот урок – “this lesson”) convey definiteness or indefiniteness instead.