Вода немного холодная.

The water is a bit cold.

Breakdown of Вода немного холодная.

• вода: the water
• холодный: cold
• немного: a bit

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”?