Breakdown of Словарь на полке.
словарь
dictionary
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
полка
shelf
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Questions & Answers about Словарь на полке.
Why does the word for shelf end in -е here (полке)?
This is the Prepositional case, which we use to talk about locations. The basic dictionary form of the word is полка (a feminine noun ending in -а). To say something is on it, we use the preposition на and change the ending from -а to -е.
Why is there no word for 'is' in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb to be is almost always left out. Because of this, saying Словарь на полке directly translates to 'The dictionary on the shelf', but it automatically means 'The dictionary is on the shelf'.
Could I use в instead of на here?
Not usually. На means on or on top of, while в means in or inside. Since a dictionary rests on the flat open surface of a shelf, we use на полке (on the shelf).
I see словарь ends in a soft sign (-ь). Is it masculine or feminine?
Словарь is a masculine noun. Nouns ending in a soft sign (-ь) can be either masculine or feminine in Russian, so you usually have to memorize their gender as you learn them. However, a helpful hint is that many objects ending in -арь, like словарь and календарь, are masculine.