Breakdown of Стоматолог сказала, что у меня чувствительная десна и усталая челюсть.
я
I
и
and
сказать
to say
что
that
Questions & Answers about Стоматолог сказала, что у меня чувствительная десна и усталая челюсть.
Why is it сказала and not сказал?
Because the dentist is female. In Russian, past-tense verbs agree with the speaker's or subject's gender:
- сказал = a man said
- сказала = a woman said
Even though стоматолог looks like a masculine noun in form, it can refer to either a male or a female dentist. The verb tells you the actual gender here.
What does что mean here?
Что means that and introduces the clause after said:
- Стоматолог сказала, что...
- The dentist said that...
In Russian, a comma is normally required before что when it introduces a subordinate clause like this.
Why does Russian use у меня instead of a verb meaning I have?
Russian usually expresses possession with у + genitive rather than a direct verb like English have.
So:
- у меня literally means something like at me
- у меня чувствительная десна = I have a sensitive gum / my gum is sensitive
This is one of the most common Russian patterns, so it is worth getting used to early.