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Questions & Answers about Я бегаю по парку утром.
Why is it бегаю and not бегу?
Бегаю is from бегать (multi-directional, imperfective) and is used for habits/repeated actions or running around within an area. Бегу is from бежать (uni-directional) and is used for motion in one direction, often “I am running (now).” For a routine: Я бегаю…; for right now: Я бегу….
What does по mean here, and which case does it take?
Here по means “around/throughout/along (within a space).” With this meaning it takes the Dative case, so парк becomes парку: по парку = “around/through the park (inside it).”
Can I say в парке instead of по парку?
Yes, but there’s a nuance. В парке (Prepositional) states location “in the park” neutrally. По парку (Dative) highlights movement within the area, “around/throughout the park.” Both are fine with running; по парку sounds more dynamic.
Why is it парку and not парке?
Because по + area/movement uses the Dative: по парку. The form в парке uses the Prepositional after в to mark location. Singular of парк: Nom парк, Gen парка, Dat парку, Acc парк, Instr парком, Prep (о) парке.
Why is утром used without a preposition?
Утром is the Instrumental singular of утро used adverbially to express time (“in the morning”). Russian commonly uses this adverbial Instrumental for times of day: утром, днём, вечером, ночью.
How do I say “in the mornings” or “every morning”?
Use habitual expressions:
- По утрам = “in the mornings.”
- Каждое утро = “every morning.” Examples: Я бегаю по утрам (по парку). / Я бегаю каждое утро (в парке).
Can I omit Я?
You can say Бегаю по парку утром, but Russian is not strongly pro-drop. Omitting я is colloquial/emphatic or used when the subject is obvious from context. In neutral speech, keeping Я is most common.
Where can I put утром in the sentence?
All are natural with slight emphasis shifts: Утром я бегаю по парку. / Я утром бегаю по парку. / Я бегаю по парку утром. Putting утром first emphasizes the time.
What’s the stress and pronunciation?
Stress: Я бе́гаю по па́рку у́тром. Approximate IPA: [ja ˈbʲeɡəjʊ pɐ ˈparkʊ ˈutrəm]. Simple guide: ya BEH-ga-yu pa PAR-koo OO-trum.
How do I conjugate бегать in the present?
- я бегаю
- ты бегаешь
- он/она бегает
- мы бегаем
- вы бегаете
- они бегают
How do I say it if I’m running right now?
Use the uni-directional present: Я бегу по парку (сейчас). If you mean “I’m in the habit of running (these days),” you can still use я бегаю.
How do I talk about the future (one time vs habit)?
- One-time/for a while: Я побегаю утром. (perfective побегать = “run for a bit.”)
- Future habit: Я буду бегать по утрам. (Future of imperfective.)
What other prepositions change the meaning?
- Вокруг парка = around the outside of the park (on the perimeter).
- Через парк = across the park (from one side to the other).
- Вдоль парка = along the side of the park.
Can по be used with plurals too?
Yes, with Dative plural: по паркам. For example: Я бегаю по паркам утром = “I run through parks in the morning(s).”