Breakdown of Я спрашиваю себя, почему я опаздываю каждую пятницу.
я
I
каждый
every
спрашивать
to ask
себя
myself
опаздывать
to be late
почему
why
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Questions & Answers about Я спрашиваю себя, почему я опаздываю каждую пятницу.
What does Я спрашиваю себя mean, and why is себя in the accusative case?
Я спрашиваю себя literally means “I ask myself.” The verb спрашивать (to ask) takes a direct object, and when that object is oneself, you use the reflexive pronoun себя in the accusative case to show you’re asking your own person.
Why is there a comma before почему?
In Russian, a comma separates the main clause from a subordinate clause introduced by an interrogative word like почему, что, когда. Here, почему я опаздываю каждую пятницу is the subordinate clause explaining what you’re asking yourself.
Why is я repeated before опаздываю in the subordinate clause? Can you omit it?
Each clause in Russian normally has its own subject. Even though the verb ending “-ю” already marks the subject as “I,” including я adds clarity or emphasis. You can omit it and say почему опаздываю каждую пятницу, and the meaning stays clear.
Why is the time expression каждую пятницу in the accusative case?
Repeated time expressions answering “when?” typically use the accusative case in Russian. Каждую пятницу (“every Friday”) is a standard accusative-form phrase for recurring events. An alternative is по пятницам, which uses по + dative plural to express the same idea.
Is the word order in почему я опаздываю каждую пятницу fixed? Could I move каждую пятницу elsewhere?
Russian word order is flexible for emphasis. You can say:
- почему я опаздываю каждую пятницу (neutral),
- почему я каждую пятницу опаздываю (emphasizes “every Friday”), or
- even каждую пятницу я спрашиваю себя, почему опаздываю (shifts “every Friday” to the front for strong focus).
Why is почему used instead of зачем?
Почему asks “why?” in the sense of seeking a reason or cause. Зачем asks “for what purpose?” or “what for?” Here you’re wondering about the reason behind being late, so почему is the correct choice.
Could I use another phrase instead of спрашиваю себя, perhaps more formal?
Yes. You could say Я задаю себе вопрос, почему я опаздываю каждую пятницу, using задавать вопрос (“to pose a question”). It’s slightly more formal but conveys the same sense of internal questioning.