Questions & Answers about Я хочу изменить свой режим.
Why is it свой режим and not мой режим?
Russian prefers свой (the reflexive possessive) instead of мой / твой / наш / ваш / его / её / их when the possessor is the subject of the clause.
- Я хочу изменить свой режим.
Literally: I want to change my (own) routine.
Using свой here is neutral and most natural.
You can say Я хочу изменить мой режим, but it usually implies contrast or emphasis, like:
- I want to change *my routine (not someone else’s).*
So:
- Default, neutral: свой режим
- Contrast/emphasis: мой режим
What case is режим in, and why does it look like the dictionary form?
Режим here is in the accusative case as the direct object of изменить (to change something).
For masculine, inanimate nouns like режим, the accusative form is identical to the nominative:
- Nominative (dictionary form): режим
- Accusative (direct object): режим
Examples:
- Этот режим (this routine) – nominative
- Я изменяю этот режим. – accusative, but no visible change
What exactly does режим mean here? Is it like English “regime”?