Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Russian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Мой папа читает газету.
Why is there no word for the or a before газету in Russian?
Russian does not use definite or indefinite articles like English. Context and word endings convey whether something is specific or general. In Мой папа читает газету, it’s clear from context that he’s reading a newspaper (either any newspaper or a particular one already known).
Why does газета become газету here?
Because газету is the direct object of the verb читает, it takes the accusative case. Feminine nouns of the first declension (ending in -а/я in the nominative) change -а to -у (and -я to -ю) in the accusative singular.
How can you tell that читает is third person singular?
читать is an imperfective verb of the first conjugation. In the present tense, the third person singular ending is -ет. You take the stem чита- and add -ет → читает (“he/she/it reads” or “is reading”).
Why is the phrase мой папа instead of папа мой?
Both word orders are grammatically correct. Мой папа follows the neutral Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) pattern and sounds most natural. Папа мой would shift emphasis onto папа, perhaps to contrast with someone else’s dad or for stylistic effect.
What’s the difference between папа and отец?
папа is the informal, everyday word equivalent to “mom/dad” in English. отец is more formal or literary, equivalent to “father.” In casual speech and writing, Russians nearly always say папа when referring to their own dad.
What aspect is читать, and what does that imply about the action?
читать is imperfective, which means the action is viewed as ongoing, habitual, or repeated. Here, читает can mean “is reading (right now)” or “reads (as a habit).” You’d use the perfective counterpart прочитать to emphasize completing the action.
Where is the stress in газету and читает, and how are they pronounced?
- газету is pronounced [gə-ZE-tu], with stress on the зе́ (second) syllable.
- читает is pronounced [chi-TA-yet], with stress on the та́ (second) syllable.
Could you say Мой папа читает газеты instead, with газеты in the plural?
Yes. газеты is the plural accusative (which looks like the plural nominative for first-declension nouns). Мой папа читает газеты means “My dad reads newspapers,” implying a general habit of reading various newspapers rather than one specific issue.