Я боюсь петь перед людьми.

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Breakdown of Я боюсь петь перед людьми.

• перед: in front of
• петь: to sing
• человек: the person

Questions & Answers about Я боюсь петь перед людьми.

Why is петь in the infinitive after бояться, instead of a conjugated form?

The verb бояться (to be afraid) follows a fixed pattern when you express fear of doing something. You say бояться + infinitive, much like “to be afraid to do X” in English. That’s why петь remains in its basic infinitive form here.

What is the role of the suffix -ся in бояться? Can you drop it?

The -ся ending is intrinsic to the verb бояться. It isn’t a true reflexive action here but part of the verb’s core meaning “to be afraid.” There is no verb боять meaning “to be afraid,” so you must always include -ся.

What case is людьми, and why is that case used?

людьми is the plural instrumental form of люди (people). Russian prepositions govern specific cases, and перед (in front of) always takes the instrumental. Hence перед + людьми.

Could I replace людьми with публикой or аудиторией? What difference would that make?