Questions & Answers about Они говорят очень быстро.
Why does говорят end in -ят instead of -ют?
The verb is говорить (to speak). Because the dictionary form ends in -ить, it follows the second conjugation pattern. This means the "they" (Они) form takes the ending -ат or -ят, unlike the -ут or -ют endings used for first conjugation verbs.
Is говорят pronounced exactly how it's spelled?
Not quite! In Russian, an unstressed о is pronounced like an "a" or an "uh" sound. In говорят, the stress falls on the last syllable (я), so the two оs before it sound like "a". It is pronounced roughly like "ga-va-RYAT".
Does быстро end in -о because it is a neuter word?
Does this mean "they speak" in general, or "they are speaking" right now?
It can mean both! Russian present tense verbs cover both simple ("they speak") and continuous ("they are speaking") actions in English. You figure out which one is meant from the context of context of the conversation.
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