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Questions & Answers about Вода немного холодная.
Why is there no verb “to be” in this sentence?
In Russian, the present-tense form of “to be” (быть) is usually omitted. So instead of saying “Вода немного холодная есть,” you simply say “Вода немного холодная.” The copula is implied.
What case is the word “вода” in, and why?
“Вода” is in the nominative case because it’s the subject of the sentence. It answers the question “What is a little cold?” and so it remains in its basic (nominative) form.
Why is “холодная” ending in “-ая”?
“Холодная” is an adjective describing “вода.” Since “вода” is feminine singular nominative, the adjective takes the matching feminine singular nominative ending “-ая.”
What role does “немного” play here?
“Немного” means “a little” or “somewhat.” It’s an adverb modifying the adjective “холодная,” so it softens the degree of coldness rather than changing the noun.
Could “немного” ever modify a noun directly, as in “a little water”?
No. When you want “a little water,” you use “немного” as a quantity word and put “вода” into the genitive: “немного воды.” Here, however, “немного” modifies “холодная,” so “вoda” stays nominative.
Is the word order flexible? Could I say “Немного холодная вода”?
Yes, you could. “Немного холодная вода” places more emphasis on “cold” before introducing the subject. Both mean “The water is a bit cold,” but the original focuses on “вода” first; the alternative focuses on “немного холодная.”
How would I make this sentence negative, e.g., “The water isn’t a bit cold”?
To negate in Russian, insert “не” before the adjective:
“Вода не холодная.”
If you want to emphasize “not even a bit cold,” you could say “Вода совсем не холодная.”
Can I replace “немного” with other words like “слегка” or “чуть-чуть”?
Yes. Both “слегка” and “чуть-чуть” mean “slightly” or “just a bit.” You can say:
- “Вода слегка холодная.”
- “Вода чуть-чуть холодная.”
All three convey mild coldness, with tiny shades of nuance.