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Questions & Answers about У тебя есть другая зарядка?
Why does Russian use у тебя есть to mean possession instead of a verb like English “have”?
Russian typically expresses possession with у + Genitive + есть, literally “at/near you there is.” So у тебя есть is “you have.” The verb иметь (to have) exists but sounds formal or bookish in everyday speech here: Ты имеешь другую зарядку? is unusual in casual conversation.
Why is it тебя and not тебе after у?
Because у takes the Genitive case. The pronoun ты declines: Nominative ты, Genitive тебя, Dative тебе. After у, use тебя: у тебя, у него, у нас, etc.
Do I need the word есть here? Can I drop it?
- Neutral/standard: keep it — У тебя есть другая зарядка?
- You can drop it in colloquial speech for a clipped, confirmatory feel: У тебя другая зарядка? (more like “So yours is a different charger?”).
- For general availability rather than possession, you might say Есть другая зарядка? (“Is there another charger?”).
Including есть is the safest neutral choice.
Why is it другая and not другую?
With есть, the thing that exists acts like a subject and stays in the Nominative: другая зарядка (Nom. fem. sg.). Другую would be Accusative (e.g., if it were a direct object of a transitive verb).
What’s the difference between другая and ещё одна?
- другая = “a different one” (different from the current/mentioned one; often implies a different type or simply not the same unit).
- ещё одна = “one more” (an additional/spare one of the same kind).
Examples: - Мне нужна другая зарядка (this one doesn’t fit; I need a different type).
- У тебя есть ещё одна зарядка? (do you have an extra one?).
Why is it другая and not другой?
Agreement. Зарядка is feminine, so the modifier must be feminine: другая.
- Masc.: другой (e.g., другой кабель)
- Neut.: другое (e.g., другое устройство)
- Plural: другие (e.g., другие зарядки)
Does зарядка always mean a “charger”? I thought it could mean “exercise.”
Yes, зарядка has two common meanings:
- “charger” (for phones, laptops, etc.)
- “morning exercise/warm-up”
Context resolves the ambiguity. If needed, be specific: зарядка для телефона (phone charger), зарядное устройство (formal), зарядник (colloquial), кабель/шнур (cable), блок питания (power brick).
How do I make this more polite or formal?
Use formal вы: У вас есть другая зарядка?
To soften the request further, use a polite negative: У вас случайно нет другой зарядки? (literally “You don’t happen to have another charger, do you?”).
How does negation change the cases?
With нет, the possessed noun goes to the Genitive:
- Positive: У меня есть другая зарядка.
- Negative: У меня нет другой зарядки.
Notice другая зарядка → другой зарядки (Genitive).
Can I use ли to form a yes–no question?
Yes: Есть ли у тебя другая зарядка? This is more formal or careful. In speech, simple intonation with a question mark is more common: У тебя есть другая зарядка?
Are other word orders possible, and do they change the nuance?
Yes, word order can shift focus:
- Есть у тебя другая зарядка? emphasizes existence.
- У тебя другая зарядка есть? can sound confirmatory/contrastive.
All are grammatical; the neutral choice is the original order.
How would I ask about past or future possession?
- Past: У тебя была другая зарядка?
- Future: У тебя будет другая зарядка?
The verb agrees with зарядка (feminine: была).
How do I ask if someone has an extra charger with them right now?
Add с собой: У тебя с собой есть другая зарядка? or more idiomatically, У тебя с собой зарядка есть? (dropping другая if you just need any charger).
Could I use твоя instead of у тебя?
Different meaning. Твоя зарядка = “your charger.”
- У тебя есть зарядка? asks about possession.
- У тебя есть твоя зарядка? specifically asks whether you have your own charger with you (as opposed to someone else’s).
What are the stresses and a simple pronunciation guide?
- У тебя́ есть друга́я заря́дка?
Approximate: [u tee-BYA yest' droo-GA-ya za-RYAT-ka]. Stresses: тебя́, друга́я, заря́дка.
If I want to be more specific about type (e.g., iPhone charger), how do I say that?
Use для + Genitive: У тебя есть другая зарядка для iPhone? / …для телефона Samsung? For parts: кабель для зарядки (charging cable), блок питания для ноутбука (laptop power brick).