Breakdown of Он всегда завтракает очень быстро.
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
очень
very
завтракать
to have breakfast
всегда
always
быстро
fast, quickly
Questions & Answers about Он всегда завтракает очень быстро.
The lesson is about second conjugation (-ить) verbs. Why does завтракает end in -ет instead of -ит?
Because the dictionary form of this verb is завтракать (to eat breakfast). Since it ends in -ать, it is a regular first conjugation verb. It takes the -ет ending for он (he), whereas the second conjugation verbs you are learning right now use -ит. It is a good reminder to always check the infinitive!
In English we say 'eats breakfast'. Why is there no word for 'eats' in the Russian sentence?
In Russian, 'to eat breakfast' is expressed with a single action verb: завтракать. You do not need to add a separate verb for 'to eat'. The same rule applies to other daily meals: обедать means 'to eat lunch' and ужинать means 'to eat dinner'.
Does завтракает have the same root as the word for tomorrow (завтра)?
Yes, great catch! Historically, the morning meal was often prepared the night before, meaning it was made 'for tomorrow'. Today, завтра simply means 'tomorrow' and завтракать means 'to eat breakfast', but spotting these connections makes vocabulary much easier to remember.
Why does the word for fast end in -о (быстро) instead of -ый?
Быстро is an adverb, meaning 'quickly' or 'fast'. It describes how he eats breakfast. In Russian, adverbs are usually formed by changing the adjective ending to -о. You would only use the adjective form быстрый if you were describing a masculine noun, like a fast train.
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