Questions & Answers about Ребёнок хочет пиццу.
Why is the word for pizza spelled пиццу here instead of its dictionary form пицца?
Because it is the direct object of the sentence—the thing being wanted. In Russian, we use the accusative case for this. For feminine nouns ending in -а like пицца, the ending changes to -у.
Wait, I thought inanimate (non-living) objects don't change their endings in the accusative case. Why did пицца change?
That "no change" rule only applies to masculine and neuter inanimate nouns! For feminine nouns ending in -а or -я, the ending always changes in the accusative case, regardless of whether the object is a living creature or just a food item.
Why does the verb хочет look a bit strange?
The verb хотеть (to want) is highly irregular. Instead of keeping a consistent base, it changes slightly depending on who is doing the wanting. For "he/she/it" subjects like ребёнок, the correct form is хочет.
Is ребёнок always a masculine noun, even if the child is a little girl?
Yes! Grammatically, ребёнок is a masculine noun because it ends in a consonant (-к). If you were to add an adjective (like "good child"), you would use the masculine form of the adjective, regardless of the child's actual gender.
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