Из окна виден мост.

From the window, the bridge is visible.

Breakdown of Из окна виден мост.

• окно: the window
• мост: the bridge
• из: from
• виден: visible

Questions & Answers about Из окна виден мост.

What is the word‑for‑word structure of Из окна виден мост?

• из – from/out of (preposition)
• окна – window in the genitive singular (of the window)
• виден – is visible / can be seen (short form of a passive participle/adjective)
• мост – bridge in the nominative singular (subject)

Very literally: “From (the) window is visible (the) bridge.”

Why is мост in the nominative case and not the accusative?

In this sentence, мост is the grammatical subject: the bridge is visible (from the window).

• Russian structure: Из окна виден мост.
  
  • Subject: мост (nominative)
  • Predicate: виден (agrees with мост)

We are not saying “Someone sees the bridge” (which would use a verb like вижу and accusative). We are describing the state of the bridge: it is visible. So nominative is correct.

What exactly is виден grammatically?

Виден is a short form passive participle (historically) that functions like a short-form adjective meaning “visible”.

• Full form adjective/participle: видимый – “visible”
• Short forms:
  
  • виден – masculine singular
  • видна – feminine singular
  • видно – neuter singular
  • видны – plural

So мост виден = the bridge is visible / the bridge can be seen.

Why is it виден and not видно here?

Because виден must agree in gender and number with the subject мост:

• мост – masculine, singular → виден (masc. sg.)
• If the subject were:
  
  • река (fem.) → река видна
  • озеро (neut.) → озеро видно
  • дома (pl.) → дома видны

So Из окна виден мост is required because мост is masculine.

Can I say Из окна видно мост instead of Из окна виден мост?

Native speakers sometimes say Из окна видно мост, but it is less standard and can sound a bit off or colloquial because видно is neuter and doesn’t agree with мост.

More natural options:

• Из окна виден мост. – the bridge is visible from the window.
• Из окна мост видно. – with мост fronted and видно used more impersonally; still not as “textbook” as виден мост.

For clear, correct, learner‑friendly Russian, use Из окна виден мост.

Is виден a passive form like “is seen by someone”? Who is doing the seeing?

In modern Russian, виден is mostly understood as “is visible”, not as a personal passive “is seen by X”. It describes a state, not an action.

• Мост виден из окна.
  → The bridge is visible from the window / The bridge can be seen from the window.

No “someone” is grammatically present; the sentence is impersonal in that sense. The focus is on the visibility of the bridge, not on an observer.

What’s the difference between Из окна виден мост and Я вижу мост из окна?

• Из окна виден мост.

  • Describes a general situation/state:
    “From the window, the bridge is (in principle) visible.”
  • No explicit person seeing it.

• Я вижу мост из окна.

  • Describes your personal action right now:
    “I see the bridge from the window.”
  • Subject я
    • verb вижу (1st person).

Both are correct; they just highlight different things: state of visibility vs someone’s act of seeing.

Why is it из окна and why is окна in the genitive case?

The preposition из (“from, out of”) always requires the genitive case.

• Nominative: окно – “window”
• Genitive singular: окна – “(from) the window”

So:

• из
  • окно → ❌ (wrong)
• из
  • окна → ✅ из окна – “from (the) window”

The meaning is “from the inside of the window / from the window’s position.”

Could I use a different preposition, like с окна or от окна?

In this meaning (“from the window” as a viewpoint), из окна is the standard choice.

• из окна – from the window, from the viewpoint of being at/in the window (what you can see looking out).
• с окна – is rarely used this way; sounds odd here.
• от окна – usually “from (away from) the window” in a spatial sense, not a viewpoint for seeing.

So for “From the window, the bridge is visible”, use из окна.

Why isn’t there a form of быть (“to be”), like есть, in this sentence?

In the present tense, Russian usually omits the verb “to be” in simple “X is Y” statements.

• Full theoretical form: Из окна есть виден мост. – sounds wrong/unnatural.
• Correct Russian: Из окна виден мост.

Similarly:

• Мост виден. – The bridge is visible.
• Дом большой. – The house is big. (no есть)

Can I change the word order? For example, Мост виден из окна?

Yes. Word order in Russian is relatively flexible:

• Из окна виден мост. – neutral: from the window, the bridge is visible.
• Мост виден из окна. – slightly more emphasis on мост (the bridge).
• Виден мост из окна. – more literary/poetic, emphasis on visibility: “Visible is the bridge from the window.”

All these are grammatically correct; differences are mostly about nuance and emphasis.

How would the sentence change with feminine, neuter, or plural nouns?

You change виден to agree with the noun:

• Masculine:

  • Из окна виден мост. – The bridge is visible from the window.

• Feminine:

  • Из окна видна река. – The river is visible from the window.

• Neuter:

  • Из окна видно озеро. – The lake is visible from the window.

• Plural:

  • Из окна видны дома. – The houses are visible from the window.

Is виден related to the verb видеть (“to see”)? How?

Yes. Historically it’s derived from видеть:

• Verb: видеть – to see
• Passive participle/adjective: видимый – visible
• Short form: виден / видна / видно / видны – is/are visible

So мост виден literally comes from “the bridge is (in a state of) being seen”, which in modern English we just call “is visible”.

How would I say “You can see the bridge from the window” using можно?

Several correct options:

• Из окна можно увидеть мост. – From the window you can (manage to) see the bridge (at least once / in principle).
• Из окна можно видеть мост. – From the window one can see the bridge (generally, as an ongoing possibility).

Compared to Из окна виден мост, the можно + видеть/увидеть versions explicitly add the idea of possibility for an unspecified person (“one can…”), while виден focuses on the state of the bridge: it is visible.

What is the pronunciation and stress of из окна виден мост?

Stress:

• из окна́ ви́ден мост

Approximate pronunciation (IPA):

• /iz ɐkˈna ˈvʲidʲɪn most/

Rough English-style approximation:

• “eez ak-NAH VEE-din most” (with soft d in виден and k in окна not aspirated).