Learn Hardcore Russian: Наш преподаватель объяснил правило употребления дательного падежа с глаголом «нравиться». - Our teacher explained the rule for using the dative case with the verb «нравиться».

Because it is the object of the noun употребление (“usage”). In Russian, many verbal nouns like употребление govern a genitive to answer “usage of what?” → правило употребления дательного падежа.

Why is глаголом used with the preposition с and in the instrumental case?

The preposition с (“with”) always takes the instrumental. Here с глаголом нравиться means “with the verb нравиться” to specify which verb the rule applies to.

Why does правило look like a nominative when it is the direct object of объяснил?

In Russian, neuter inanimate nouns have identical nominative and accusative singular forms. Since правило (“rule”) is neuter inanimate, its accusative (direct‐object) form looks the same as its nominative.

Why is наш преподаватель in the masculine singular form? Does this mean the teacher is male?

Yes. The possessive pronoun наш must agree in gender, number and case with преподаватель (“teacher”), which here is masculine singular nominative. Also объяснил is the masculine past‐tense form, so the sentence implies a male teacher. A female teacher would be наша преподаватель объяснила.

What kind of noun is употребления, and why does it end in -ия?

Употребления is a verbal noun (a noun derived from the verb употреблять, “to use/ employ”). It is neuter and follows the 2nd‐declension pattern: genitive singular ending -ия. Here it answers чего? (“of what?”): употребления дательного падежа.

Why does the verb нравиться require the dative case for the person who likes something?

Because нравиться literally means “to be pleasing.” The thing liked is the grammatical subject (nominative), and the person who experiences the liking is the indirect object in the dative. E.g. мне нравится музыка (“music is pleasing to me”).

Can I use объяснял instead of объяснил, and what would change?

Yes. Объяснил is perfective past, indicating a completed action (“explained”). Объяснял is imperfective past, indicating an ongoing, habitual or repeated action (“was explaining” or “used to explain”). So Наш преподаватель объяснял правило… suggests a process or repeated explanations.

How is the overall word order and structure of this sentence organized?

The main clause is Subject–Verb–Object:
1) Наш преподаватель (subject)
2) объяснил (verb)
3) правило употребления дательного падежа с глаголом нравиться (object noun phrase).
Within the object:

правило is the head noun (“rule”).
употребления дательного падежа is a genitive attribute (“of using the dative case”).
с глаголом нравиться is an instrumental prepositional phrase specifying “with which verb.”