Breakdown of Студент внимательно слушает лекцию.
студент
student (m)
слушать
to listen
внимательно
carefully
лекция
lecture
Questions & Answers about Студент внимательно слушает лекцию.
Why does the word for lecture end in -ю here instead of -у?
The dictionary form is лекция (a feminine inanimate noun). In the accusative case, feminine nouns that end in -я change their ending to -ю. If the noun ended in -а, it would change to -у. Since the lecture is the direct object receiving the action, it takes this accusative ending.
In English we say 'listens to the lecture'. Where is the word for 'to' in Russian?
The Russian verb слушать (to listen) does not use a preposition like 'to'. It takes a direct object straight away. That is why you simply put лекцию directly into the accusative case after the verb.
Why doesn't the word студент change its ending?
Студент is the subject of the sentence because he is the one doing the action. The subject always stays in the nominative case, which is the basic dictionary form. Only the direct object receiving the action (лекцию) changes to the accusative case here.
Is it normal to put внимательно (carefully) before the verb?
Yes! In Russian, it is very common to place adverbs like внимательно right before the verb they describe. While Russian word order is flexible and you could put it after the verb, placing it before the verb sounds very natural.