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Questions & Answers about Как называется эта улица?
What case is эта улица in, and why?
эта улица is in the nominative case because it functions as the grammatical subject of the verb называться in the sentence.
What part of speech is называется, and what does the -ся ending indicate?
называется is a reflexive verb (3rd person singular, present tense) derived from называть. The -ся suffix marks the reflexive (or passive/impersonal) voice, giving the sense “is called.”
Why use называться here instead of звать, like in Как тебя зовут??
звать (“to call”) is used only for people (or sometimes pets) – e.g. Как тебя зовут? means “What’s your name?” For inanimate things, places, books, films, etc., you use называться to ask “What is it called?”
Can I say Как эта улица называется? instead of Как называется эта улица??
Yes. Both word orders are grammatically correct and carry the same meaning. Russian has flexible word order; moving эта улица to the front can add slight emphasis on “this street.”
What’s the difference between Как называется эта улица? and Какая это улица??
Как называется эта улица? asks “What is the name of this street?” Какая это улица? literally means “Which street is this?” or “What kind of street is this?” Though in everyday speech you’ll often answer both with the street’s name.
How would you answer Как называется эта улица??
You can say Эта улица называется Тверская. More naturally you’d reply Тверская улица. You may also just say Тверская if the context is clear.
Do I need to change the case of the street name when answering?
No. The street name stays in the nominative case because you are simply stating its name.
Why include the demonstrative эта here?
The demonstrative эта (“this”) specifies exactly which street you mean. Without it, Как называется улица? could sound like you’re asking about any street in general.