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Questions & Answers about Я хочу купить джинсы.
Why is джинсы in the plural form?
In Russian джинсы is a pluralia tantum noun—it only exists in the plural because jeans are thought of as a pair of trousers. You can’t say джинс in the singular.
Which grammatical case does джинсы take here, and how do you recognize it?
It’s in the accusative plural. For inanimate masculine and feminine nouns, the accusative plural form is identical to the nominative plural. Here джинсы (nom. pl.) → джинсы (acc. pl.).
Why is купить in the infinitive form instead of a conjugated verb?
After the verb хочу (I want) you use an infinitive to express an intended action. In English you say “I want to buy,” and in Russian the structure is exactly хочу + infinitive.
Can you omit я and just say Хочу купить джинсы?
Yes. Russian frequently drops the subject pronoun when it’s clear from the verb ending who the subject is. Хочу купить джинсы still means I want to buy jeans.
What’s the difference between купить and покупать?
Купить is the perfective infinitive—it presents the action as a completed whole (“to buy” once). Покупать is imperfective—it focuses on the process or a repeated action (“to be buying” or “to buy regularly”). Since you want to complete the purchase, you choose купить.
How do you pronounce джинсы, and which syllable is stressed?
You pronounce it [dʒˈin.sɨ], with the stress on the first syllable: ДЖИ-нсы.
Why are there no articles like a or the in the Russian sentence?
Russian does not use articles. Whether something is definite or indefinite is inferred from context rather than marked by words like a or the.
Can you change the word order in Я хочу купить джинсы, and what would that do?
Yes—Russian word order is relatively flexible. For example, Джинсы хочу купить я might put extra emphasis on джинсы, sounding more poetic or expressing surprise. However, the neutral, everyday order is Я хочу купить джинсы (Subject–Verb–Infinitive–Object).