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Breakdown of Я жду заключения договора.
я
I
ждать
to wait for
договор
the contract
заключение
the conclusion
Questions & Answers about Я жду заключения договора.
Why is заключения договора in the genitive case rather than the accusative?
The verb ждать when meaning “to wait for” requires its object in the genitive: you always say ждать кого/чего, not кого/что (accusative).
What part of speech is заключения in this sentence?
It’s a verbal noun (отглагольное существительное) derived from the perfective verb заключить. Here заключение means “the act or process of concluding.”
Why isn’t there a preposition like о before заключения договора?
With ждать you don’t use a preposition to mark what you’re waiting for. The genitive alone covers “waiting for” something. Adding о (e.g. ждать о заключении) would be ungrammatical.
Can I replace ждать with ожидать here?
Yes. Ожидать is a more formal synonym of ждать and also governs the genitive. For example: Я ожидаю заключения договора.
Could I rephrase this using an infinitive clause, like “Я жду, чтобы заключить договор”?
No—чтобы + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to”). “Я жду, чтобы заключить договор” would mean “I’m waiting so that I can sign the contract,” not “waiting for the contract to be signed.” To convey that, use a passive clause: Я жду, когда договор будет заключён.
What’s the nuance between Я жду заключения договора and Я жду, когда договор будет заключён?
The first is more concise and formal, using a noun phrase to denote the event. The second explicitly spells out the time clause (“when the contract is signed”) and is slightly more conversational.
How do you pronounce жду?
It’s [ʐdu]:
- ж sounds like the “s” in English “measure.”
- ду is like “doo.”
Together: жду → “zh-doo.”
What’s the difference between договор and контракт in Russian?
Both mean “contract/agreement,” but:
- договор is the general term for any agreement.
- контракт is often used in commercial, military or very formal legal contexts.
In many cases they’re interchangeable, but контракт feels a bit more official.
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