Булавка лежит рядом с иголкой.

to lie

Breakdown of Булавка лежит рядом с иголкой.

• рядом с: next to
• иголка: the needle
• булавка: the sewing pin

Questions & Answers about Булавка лежит рядом с иголкой.

Why is the verb лежит used here?

Russian often uses specific position verbs where English might simply say is or is lying.

• лежать / лежит = to lie / is lying
• It is used for something in a horizontal position or simply resting somewhere.

So Булавка лежит рядом с иголкой literally means The pin is lying next to the needle.

A learner may wonder why Russian does not just use a form of to be here. In the present tense, Russian usually omits to be, and in sentences about location it often prefers a verb like:

• лежать = lie
• стоять = stand
• сидеть = sit

So лежит is very natural here.

Why is it иголкой and not иголка?