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Questions & Answers about Собака смотрит вверх.
Why is собака in the nominative case?
Because in Russian the subject of a sentence takes the nominative case. Here собака performs the action смотрит, so it must be in the nominative.
What part of speech is вверх and how does it function in the sentence?
вверх is an adverb meaning up or upwards. It modifies the verb смотреть, indicating the direction of the action.
Why isn't there a preposition before вверх?
Because вверх itself is an adverb. You only use a preposition when you attach a noun—for example, на стену or в небо.
Could I say Собака смотрит наверх instead of Собака смотрит вверх?
Yes. наверх and вверх are both adverbs meaning up. наверх often feels more colloquial or emphasizes movement toward a higher position, while вверх is the neutral term for upward direction.
What aspect is the verb смотреть in, and how would I change it to show a completed action?
смотреть is imperfective (ongoing or habitual). To express a single, completed action "looked up," use the perfective посмотреть: Собака посмотрела вверх.
How would I put this sentence in the past and future tenses?
Past (feminine): Собака смотрела вверх
Future: Собака будет смотреть вверх
How do I make the sentence negative?
Place не before the verb: Собака не смотрит вверх (The dog is not looking up).
How would I ask "Is the dog looking up?" in Russian?
Informally, just use rising intonation: Собака смотрит вверх?
Formally or in writing, add ли: Смотрит ли собака вверх? or Собака ли смотрит вверх?
How can I specify what the dog is looking at?
Use смотреть на + accusative. For example:
• Собака смотрит на птицу (The dog is looking at a bird)
• Собака смотрит на небо (The dog is looking at the sky)
Why isn't there a word for the or a before собака?
Russian has no articles like the or a. Definiteness or indefiniteness is understood from context, so no separate word is needed.