Breakdown of Вы часто читаете этот журнал?
вы
you (plural)
журнал
magazine
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
читать
to read
часто
often
Questions & Answers about Вы часто читаете этот журнал?
Why does the verb end in -ете in this sentence?
Читаете comes from the infinitive verb читать (to read). Because the subject is вы (you, plural or formal), you drop the -ть and add the ending -ете. This is the standard rule for first conjugation verbs that end in -ать.
Isn't the magazine the direct object here? Why didn't этот журнал change its ending?
It is the direct object, so it's in the accusative case. However, in Russian, inanimate (non-living) masculine nouns like журнал don't change their endings in the accusative case. They look exactly the same as their dictionary form, and so does the pointing word этот (this).
Can I put the word часто (often) at the end of the sentence instead?
Yes, Russian word order is very flexible! You can say Вы читаете этот журнал часто? and it will be perfectly understood. However, putting adverbs of frequency like часто right before the verb is the most natural and common way to build the sentence.
Why are we using Вы instead of ты for "you"?
In Russian, Вы is used either when you are talking to multiple people (plural "you" - like "you guys"), or when you are politely addressing one person (formal "you") such as a stranger, a teacher, or a boss. The verb form читаете always matches this pronoun.
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