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Questions & Answers about Правда приносит радость.
What does Правда приносит радость literally mean and how would you translate it into English?
Literally it’s “Truth brings joy.” A more natural English translation is “The truth brings joy.” It expresses that knowing or speaking the truth gives happiness.
Why is правда in the nominative case?
Because правда is the subject of the sentence (what carries out the action “brings”). In Russian, subjects appear in the nominative case. Here правда is feminine singular nominative.
Why is радость not радости or радостью?
Радость is the direct object of the verb приносит, so it should be in the accusative case. For feminine nouns ending in a soft sign (ь), the accusative singular form is identical to the nominative singular. That’s why it stays радость.
Why aren’t there any words for “a” or “the” in this sentence?
Russian has no articles. Definite or indefinite meaning (a vs. the) is understood from context. Here it’s a general statement, so no article is needed.
How do I know приносит is present tense, and why 3rd person singular?
The verb infinitive is приносить (“to bring”). In the present tense it conjugates: я приношу, ты приносишь, он/она приносит, etc. Since the subject правда is third person singular (она), you use приносит.
Can I swap the word order to emphasize a different part of the sentence?
Yes. Russian is relatively flexible. For example:
• Радость приносит правда – you emphasize радость (it’s joy that truth brings).
• Приносит радость правда – you emphasize the verb приносит (it is indeed “bringing joy” that truth does).
The basic meaning stays the same.
Could I use истина instead of правда, and what’s the difference?
Both mean “truth,” but правда is more everyday or factual (“what really happened”), while истина is more abstract or philosophical (“ultimate truth”). Choose based on nuance:
• Правда приносит радость – ordinary truth brings joy.
• Истина приносит радость – a deeper or philosophical truth brings joy.
Is the sentence talking about a one-time event or a general truth?
It’s a general statement. In Russian (as in English), the present tense can express a universal truth or habit. Here it conveys that “truth always brings joy,” not just on one occasion.