Breakdown of Он сейчас в кабинете семь.
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
сейчас
now
в
in / to (direction)
кабинет
office (private room, study)
Questions & Answers about Он сейчас в кабинете семь.
Why do we use семь (seven) instead of the word for 'seventh'?
Just like in English, you can identify rooms, buses, or pages by putting a basic number right after the noun. So кабинет семь simply translates to 'room seven'.
Because of в (in), the word кабинет changes to кабинете. Why doesn't семь change its ending too?
When a number is used as a label or name for something (like 'Room Seven'), it stays in its basic dictionary form. Only the noun кабинет changes to the Prepositional case to show location.
Does кабинет mean a cabinet or cupboard?
No, it is a 'false friend'! In Russian, кабинет means an office, a study, or a specific room in a school or hospital. If you want to talk about a cabinet for storing things, you would use the word шкаф.
Why isn't there a word for 'is' in this sentence?
In Russian, the verb 'to be' is skipped in the present tense. You literally say 'He now in room seven'. You will only use a word for 'was' or 'will be' when talking about the past or the future.