Learn Hardcore Russian: Знание грамматики помогает говорить по-русски. - Knowledge of grammar helps to speak Russian.

Знание: neuter, singular, nominative noun (subject), “knowledge.”
грамматики: genitive singular, “of grammar” (what kind of knowledge?).
помогает: 3rd person singular, non-past (present), imperfective of помогать, “helps.”
говорить: infinitive, imperfective, “to speak.”
по-русски: adverb formed with по-
- -ски, “in Russian.”

Why is грамматики in the genitive case?

Because знание (“knowledge”) typically governs the genitive to show “knowledge of X.” The pattern is знание чего? → грамматики. Many abstract nouns of cognition work this way: понимание чего, изучение чего, etc.

Why is the verb помогает singular?

The subject is Знание (singular), so the verb agrees in the 3rd person singular: помогает. If you made the subject plural—Знания—you would use помогают.

Can I use the plural Знания instead? What changes?

Yes: Знания грамматики помогают говорить по-русски. This emphasizes multiple pieces/aspects of knowledge. The original singular Знание is more like “knowing grammar (as a whole) helps.”

Why is говорить in the infinitive?

After помогать, Russian uses an infinitive to express what action is being facilitated: помогает (кому?) делать что? → говорить. It’s the natural way to say “helps (someone) to speak.”

Where is “you” (e.g., “helps you”) in Russian? Can we add it?

It’s implied generically. You can make it explicit with the dative: Знание грамматики помогает вам говорить по-русски. The verb помогать takes a dative experiencer: помогать кому?

What’s the difference between говорить по-русски and говорить на русском (языке)?

Both mean “to speak in Russian” and are correct. По-русски is the most idiomatic for speaking a language; на русском (языке) sounds a bit more formal or literal and is common too.

Is по-русскому ever correct here?

No. По-русски here is an adverb formed with по- + -ски, not the preposition по with a case form. По-русскому would be wrong in this meaning.

Why is there a hyphen in по-русски, and why the double с?

Adverbs of manner from adjectives like русский are written with a hyphen: по- + stem + -ски → по-русски. The double с comes from the adjective stem русск- (as in русский).

How do you pronounce it and where are the stresses?

Stresses: Знáние граммáтики помогáет говорить по-ру́сски. Rough guide: [ZNAH-nee-ye grah-MA-tee-kee pah-mah-GAH-yet gah-va-REET’ pah-ROOS-kee]. Note the long [s] in русски due to the double с.

Can the word order change?

Yes: Говорить по-русски помогает знание грамматики. This front-loads what’s being helped (speaking Russian) and puts знание грамматики in the focus position. Russian allows flexible order to manage emphasis.

Why говорить and not сказать or разговаривать?

Говорить = “to speak” (ability/ongoing activity), which fits here. Сказать = “to say (something once),” not about general speaking ability. Разговаривать = “to converse/chat,” focusing on interaction rather than the ability to speak a language.

Can I use future поможет instead of помогает?

Yes: Знание грамматики поможет говорить по-русски = “will help (in the future).” Помогает states a general present-time fact; поможет highlights a future result or promise.

Could I say знание о грамматике?

No; with знание, Russian uses a bare genitive: знание грамматики. If you want “information about,” use сведения о грамматике. In academic contexts, you may also see plural знания по грамматике (“knowledge in the subject of grammar”).

Should русски be capitalized?

No. Names of languages and related adverbs in Russian are written in lowercase: по-русски, по-английски, по-немецки.