Я изучаю традиции предков.

I study the traditions of ancestors.

Breakdown of Я изучаю традиции предков.

• я: I
• изучать: to study
• традиция: the tradition
• предок: the ancestor

Questions & Answers about Я изучаю традиции предков.

What does изучаю mean and how is it different from учу?

изучаю is the 1st-person singular present tense of the imperfective verb изучать (to study or research in depth). It implies a systematic, ongoing examination.
By contrast, учу, from учить, can mean:
• to learn or memorize something — I’m learning Russian
• to teach someone — I’m teaching a lesson
So Я изучаю традиции предков means you’re exploring or researching your ancestors’ traditions, not just memorizing or teaching them.

Why is предков in the genitive case?

In Russian, possession is shown by putting the possessor noun in the genitive case.

• предков is the genitive plural of предок (ancestor).
• традиции предков therefore literally means traditions of the ancestors.

Why is there no preposition like “of” before предков?

Russian does not use a preposition to express possession. Instead, it changes the noun’s ending to the genitive case. Here, the -ов ending on предков signals of ancestors.

Is традиции singular or plural? How can I tell?

In this sentence, традиции is the accusative plural of традиция (“tradition”), serving as the direct object of изучаю.

• Feminine nouns ending in -ия have identical nominative plural and accusative plural forms (традиции).
• You identify it as accusative plural because it answers the question “what am I studying?”

How would I say I have already finished studying them?

Switch to the perfective aspect with изучить:
• Male speaker: Я изучил традиции предков.
• Female speaker: Я изучила традиции предков.

Can I add моих before предков?

Yes. To specify my ancestors, insert the possessive pronoun in the genitive plural:
Я изучаю традиции моих предков.