Бабушка целует внука перед сном и желает спокойной ночи.

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Breakdown of Бабушка целует внука перед сном и желает спокойной ночи.

• перед: before
• бабушка: the grandmother
• ночь: the night

Questions & Answers about Бабушка целует внука перед сном и желает спокойной ночи.

Why is it внука and not внук?

Внука is the accusative singular form of внук (grandson).

In this sentence, внука is the direct object of the verb целует (kisses). In Russian, masculine singular nouns usually change to the accusative case when they are direct objects:

• внук (nominative, subject) → внука (accusative, direct object)

So:

• Бабушка целует внук – incorrect
• Бабушка целует внука – correct (“Grandma kisses (her) grandson”)

Why is there no word for “her” in “kisses (her) grandson”? Why not своего внука?

Russian often omits possessive pronouns (мой, твой, свой, etc.) when the ownership is obvious from context, especially with:

• family members
• body parts

Here, it’s clear that the grandson is her grandson, so внука is enough. You can say своего внука, but it sounds more emphatic or contrastive, like:

• Бабушка целует своего внука, а не чужого.
  “Grandma kisses her own grandson, not someone else’s.”

In a neutral sentence, Бабушка целует внука is the natural choice.

Why is it перед сном, not ?