Breakdown of Мы долго сидели у костра и слушали истории путешественницы.
сидеть
to sit
и
and
слушать
to listen
мы
we
Questions & Answers about Мы долго сидели у костра и слушали истории путешественницы.
Why is костра in that form after у?
The preposition у (meaning by, near, at in a spatial sense) always takes the genitive case.
- Nominative: костёр (a campfire)
- Genitive singular: костра
So у костра literally means by/near the campfire.
The case is dictated by the preposition у, not by the verb сидели.
What exactly does долго mean here, and why is there no word for “for” (as in “for a long time”)?
Долго is an adverb meaning for a long time / long.
Russian usually does not use a separate preposition like for in this meaning. You just add the adverb:
- Мы долго сидели = We sat (were sitting) for a long time.
- Он долго ждал = He waited for a long time.
So долго itself covers the idea of for a long time.
Why is there no word meaning “to” after “listened” — why is it just слушали истории, not something like слушали к историям?