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Questions & Answers about Где деньги?
Why does the English translation use "is" if деньги is a plural word?
In Russian, деньги (money) is always plural! Just like the English words "clothes" or "scissors," it simply doesn't have a singular form in modern Russian. Even though we say "Where is the money?" in English, you must always treat деньги as a plural word in Russian.
Where is the verb for "is" or "are" in this sentence?
Russian almost always skips the verb "to be" (am, is, are) in the present tense. So instead of saying "Where are money?" you just say Где деньги? (Literally: "Where money?").
Does деньги have a regular plural ending?
Yes! Even though it is a "plural-only" word, it ends in -и. This is the standard plural ending for nouns when the last consonant before the ending is a guttural letter like г, к, or х.
How do I pronounce the нь in the middle of деньги?
The soft sign (ь) doesn't make its own sound. Instead, it tells you to pronounce the н softly. Press the middle of your tongue up toward the roof of your mouth, making it sound a bit like the "ny" in the English word "canyon."