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Questions & Answers about Я нарезаю хлеб для завтрака.
What is the infinitive of нарезаю and what does it mean?
The infinitive is нарезать, which means “to slice” or “to cut up.” In this sentence, Я нарезаю literally means “I am slicing” (bread).
What aspect is the verb нарезаю, and why is it in the present tense?
Нарезаю is in the imperfective aspect, which focuses on an ongoing or habitual action. Imperfective verbs in Russian have present-tense forms to show that the action is happening now (or regularly). By contrast, the perfective aspect (e.g. нарезать in its perfective sense) has no present tense and instead uses a future form like я нарежу (“I will slice”).
Why is хлеб in the accusative case, and why does it look the same as in the nominative?
Хлеб is the direct object of the verb “to slice,” so it takes the accusative case. Since хлеб is a masculine inanimate noun of the hard-stem type, its accusative form is identical to its nominative form: хлеб.
Can I say нарезаю хлеба instead of нарезаю хлеб?
Yes, you can. Saying нарезаю хлеба uses a partitive (genitive) to mean “I’m slicing some bread” (an indefinite amount). Нарезаю хлеб is more neutral: “I’m slicing the bread” (perhaps all of it or whatever you have).
Why is завтрака in the genitive case with для?
The preposition для (“for”) always governs the genitive case in Russian. That’s why завтрак becomes завтрака after для to mean “for breakfast.”
Could I use на завтрак instead of для завтрака?
Absolutely. На завтрак (“for breakfast”) is very common. You could say Я нарезаю хлеб на завтрак, which means essentially the same thing. Для завтрака often emphasizes purpose, while на завтрак can also hint at time (“at breakfast time”).
Where does the stress fall in нарезаю?
The stress is on the second syllable: на-РЕ-за-ю.
Can I change the word order in this sentence?
Yes. Russian word order is flexible. You could say:
• Для завтрака я нарезаю хлеб. (emphasizes purpose)
• Хлеб я нарезаю для завтрака. (emphasizes the bread)
The meaning stays “I am slicing bread for breakfast,” but the nuance shifts with placement.