Learn Hardcore Russian: Мы любим общаться с друзьями после работы. - We like to socialize with friends after work.

Russian often uses любить + infinitive to express liking activities: Мы любим общаться... = We like to socialize. You can also say Нам нравится общаться с друзьями, which is equally correct; it’s a bit more neutral/impersonal in tone (literally “it pleases us to socialize”). Remember: нравится needs a dative pronoun: мне/нам нравится.

What does the -ся in общаться do, and can I drop it?

The -ся makes the verb reflexive/reciprocal. Общаться means “to communicate/socialize (with others).” You can’t drop it here; there is no everyday verb общать with this meaning. The perfective partner is пообщаться (“to have a chat/socialize for a while”).

What case is с друзьями, and why that ending?

It’s instrumental plural. The preposition с meaning “with” takes the instrumental: с кем? с друзьями. Note the irregular noun друг → друзья (nom. pl.), and instrumental plural is друзьями. Examples: с другом (with a friend, sg.), с друзьями (with friends, pl.).

Why is it после работы and not после работа?

The preposition после (“after”) always takes the genitive case. Работа (nom.) → работы (gen. sg.). You can also hear alternatives like после рабочего дня (“after the workday”) or после смены (“after the shift”).

Can I change the word order?

Yes. Russian word order is flexible. Common variants include:

После работы мы любим общаться с друзьями.
Мы после работы любим общаться с друзьями. They all sound natural; moving parts changes emphasis slightly but not the basic meaning.

Can I use разговаривать instead of общаться?

You can, but the nuance shifts:

общаться = to socialize/communicate (broad, relationship-oriented).
разговаривать = to talk/converse (focus on speaking).
Colloquial options: тусоваться (“to hang out”), болтать (“to chat/chit‑chat”). So: Мы любим разговаривать с друзьями emphasizes talking; общаться covers hanging out, messaging, calls, etc.

Is there a perfective form? Can I say Мы любим пообщаться с друзьями?

Yes, perfective пообщаться exists. With любить, the imperfective is standard for general preference (любим общаться). Using the perfective (любим пообщаться) is common in speech and emphasizes enjoying a bounded session (“we like to have a chat (for a while)”).

Do I have to include мы, or can I drop it?

You can omit it if context makes the subject clear: Любим общаться с друзьями после работы. Russian isn’t a fully pro‑drop language, but pronouns are often omitted in diaries, headlines, ads, or casual notes. In neutral writing/speech, keeping мы is safest.

What exactly is the form любим?

It’s present tense, 1st person plural of любить (imperfective). Quick paradigm: я люблю, ты любишь, он/она любит, мы любим, вы любите, они любят.

Why с друзьями and not к друзьям?

Because the verb is общаться с кем‑то (“socialize with someone”). К means “to/toward” (direction), not “with.” So it must be с + instrumental.

Could I say со друзьями instead of с друзьями?

No—standard is с друзьями. The variant со is used for euphony before certain consonant clusters (e.g., со мной, со всеми, со вторника), but not before друзьями.

How is the sentence stressed and pronounced?

Stresses: Мы люби́м обща́ться с друзья́ми после рабо́ты. Tips:

щ in обща́ться is a soft long “sh” sound [ɕː].
In fast speech, с before a voiced consonant can sound voiced: с друзьями ≈ “z-druz‑YÁ‑mee.”
Unstressed “о” reduces, so don’t overpronounce it.

Does любить here mean “love” or “like”?

In English you’d usually say “like.” Russian любить covers both ranges; with activities, it typically maps to “like/enjoy” unless strong emotion is meant. So Мы любим общаться... = “We like/enjoy socializing...”

Can I say Мы любим поговорить с друзьями после работы?

Yes. Поговорить (perfective) = “to have a talk (for a while).” It’s close to пообщаться and highlights a single chatting session. Nuance:

любим общаться = we generally like socializing.
любим поговорить/пообщаться = we like having a (bounded) chat.

Is общаться only face‑to‑face?

No. It’s broad: общаться в чате (in a chat), общаться по телефону (by phone), общаться на русском (in Russian). Patterns: общаться с кем (with whom), по чему (by what medium), на каком языке (in what language).

If my friends are all female, do I change друзьями?

You can say с подругами (with [female] friends). Forms: подруга → подруги (pl.) → с подругами (instr. pl.). For mixed or unspecified groups, друзьями is standard.

Could I use a noun instead of the verb, like Мы любим общение с друзьями?

Grammatically yes, but it’s more formal/abstract. In everyday speech Мы любим общаться с друзьями sounds more natural and lively.

Is there any difference between после работы and с работы?

Yes:

после работы = “after work” (time reference).
с работы = “from work” (origin/motion: from the workplace). You might combine them in context: “We go home from work and like to socialize after work,” but they serve different roles.