Я купил качественную сковороду.

I bought a high-quality frying pan.

Breakdown of Я купил качественную сковороду.

• я: I
• купить: to buy
• качественный: high-quality
• сковорода: the frying pan

Questions & Answers about Я купил качественную сковороду.

Why does сковорода become сковороду?

Because it’s the direct object of the verb купил, so it takes the accusative case. First-declension feminine nouns ending in -а change that ending to -у in the singular accusative.

Why is the adjective качественную spelled with -ую at the end?

Russian adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. The nominative feminine качественная changes its ending from -ая to -ую when modifying a feminine singular noun in the accusative case.

What case is being used for качественную сковороду, and why?

It’s the accusative case, which you use for direct objects (the thing that is bought). Both the adjective and the noun take their respective accusative singular endings.

Does animacy affect the accusative form of feminine nouns like сковорода?

No. For feminine nouns ending in -а/-я, the singular accusative is always formed by replacing -а/-я with -у/-ю, regardless of whether the noun is animate or inanimate. Animacy only affects masculine nouns in the accusative.

What aspect is the verb купил, and what does that imply?

Купил is the masculine singular past tense form of the perfective verb купить (“to buy”). The perfective aspect indicates that the action is completed (“I bought” versus an ongoing or habitual “I was buying”/“I used to buy” which would use the imperfective покупать/покупал).

How would you ask “What did you buy?” in Russian?

Informal (singular): Что ты купил?
Formal or plural: Что вы купили?
You use что (what) for the direct object question word, and keep the perfective verb if you mean a completed purchase.

How is Я купил качественную сковороду pronounced?

Phonetic transcription: [ja kʊˈpʲil kət͡ɕɪˈstvʲennʊju skɐvɐˈrodu]
Primary stress falls on купи́л, каче́ственную, and сковоро́ду.

Do you need a preposition before качественную сковороду?

No. Russian marks direct objects with the accusative case rather than a preposition, so Я купил сковороду directly means “I bought a frying pan.”