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Questions & Answers about Я открыл файл на компьютере.
Why is the noun файл not preceded by an article (like “the” or “a”)?
Russian has no articles. Word definiteness is inferred from context or added with words like этот (“this”) or какой-то (“some”). So файл alone can mean “a file” or “the file” depending on context.
Why is файл in the accusative case here?
Файл is the direct object of открыл. Russian marks direct objects with the accusative case. For masculine inanimate nouns like файл, the accusative form is identical to the nominative, so it stays файл.
Why is the verb открыл used instead of открывал?
Russian verbs have perfective and imperfective aspects. Открыл (perfective past) signals a single, completed action (“I opened [and finished] the file”). Открывал (imperfective past) would imply a repeated or ongoing past action (“I was opening / used to open”).
How do past-tense verbs agree with gender and number in Russian?
In past tense Russian adds -л- to the verb stem and then a gender/number ending:
• Male speaker, singular: открыл
• Female speaker, singular: открыла
• Plural (any gender): открыли
Why does the sentence say на компьютере and not в компьютере?
When you talk about using or working on devices (computer, phone, radio), Russian usually uses на + prepositional case: на компьютере, на телефоне, на радио. В компьютере would mean “inside the computer” (physically).
Why is компьютере in the prepositional case?
На for location or context triggers the prepositional case. The word компьютер in prepositional singular takes the ending -е, giving компьютере.
Do I have to include я in Я открыл файл на компьютере?
No. Russian often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already indicates person and number. You can say Открыл файл на компьютере for a more concise style.
Can I reorder the words, for example Я на компьютере открыл файл?
Yes. Russian word order is relatively flexible. Changing the order shifts emphasis:
• Я открыл файл на компьютере – neutral.
• Я на компьютере открыл файл – emphasizes where.
The basic meaning stays the same.
Where do I put the stress in компьютере and открыл?
• компьютере – stress on -ю-: комп’Ю́ тере.
• открыл – stress on -рыл: открЫ́л.
• файл – single syllable, stressed by default.
Could I say запустить файл на компьютере instead of открыть файл на компьютере?
Запустить means “to launch” (run a program/file). It’s common if you want to “run” or “execute” a file (like an application). Открыть файл is more general “open,” as in view or edit its contents. Depending on context, both can work, but they aren’t always interchangeable.