Я хочу купить джинсы.

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Breakdown of Я хочу купить джинсы.

• купить: to buy
• хотеть: to want
• джинсы: the jeans

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?