Question 1

The word камень ends in a soft sign (-ь). How can we tell if it is masculine or feminine?

Accepted Answer

Nouns ending in a soft sign can be either masculine or feminine, which can be tricky to remember. However, in this sentence, the second half gives it away! Because the speaker refers back to the stone using the pronoun он (he/it), we know for sure that камень is a masculine noun.

Question 2

Why does the sentence use он (he) for a stone? Shouldn't it be an 'it'?

Accepted Answer

In Russian, pronouns must match the grammatical gender of the noun they replace, even for inanimate everyday objects. Since камень is a masculine noun, we must use the masculine pronoun он. We only use оно (it) for neuter nouns, which typically end in -о or -е.

Question 3

There is no word for 'is' in either of these sentences. Why?

Accepted Answer

Russian does not use the verb 'to be' (like am, is, or are) in the present tense. 'Where is the stone?' is simply constructed as Где камень? (Where stone?), and 'It is not here' is built as Он не здесь. (He not here).

Question 4

Does the soft sign (-ь) at the end of здесь and камень change how they are pronounced?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The soft sign has no sound of its own, but it softens the consonant that comes right before it. It tells you to pronounce the final -н in камень and the final -с in здесь softly, usually by pressing the middle of your tongue slightly higher toward the roof of your mouth.

Где камень? Он не здесь.

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