Questions & Answers about Здесь стол, стул и камень.
Why does камень end in a soft sign (ь), and how do I know its gender?
камень (stone) is a masculine noun. While most masculine nouns end in a regular consonant like in стол (table) or стул (chair), some end in a soft sign. Because feminine nouns can also end in a soft sign, you just have to memorize that камень is masculine!
Where is the word for "are" in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" (am, is, are) is almost always left out. Instead of saying "Here are a table...", you simply say "Here a table..." (Здесь стол...).
How do we say "a" table instead of "the" table?
Russian does not have articles like "a", "an", or "the". The word стол can mean either "a table" or "the table" depending entirely on the context. In this sentence, we translate it as "a" because we are just listing general objects.
How does the soft sign change the pronunciation of камень?
The soft sign (ь) has no sound of its own, but it tells you to pronounce the consonant before it softly. In камень, it makes the н sound closer to the "ny" in the English word "canyon" rather than a hard "n".
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