Breakdown of Студент изучает язык две недели.
студент
student (m)
изучать
to study
язык
language
две
two (f)
неделя
week
Questions & Answers about Студент изучает язык две недели.
Why is it две недели instead of два неделя?
The number 2 has a special feminine form, две, which matches the feminine noun неделя (week). In Russian, after the numbers 2, 3, and 4, the noun must be in the Genitive singular case. The Genitive singular of неделя is недели.
The English translation says "has been studying", so why does the Russian sentence use the present tense verb изучает?
In Russian, if an action started in the past and is still happening right now, you use the present tense. Because the student is still studying the language today, we use the present tense изучает rather than a past tense verb.
Why isn't there a Russian word for "for" before две недели?
When you want to say how long an action lasts (like "for two weeks" or "for three hours"), Russian doesn't use a preposition. You just say the time phrase directly without translating the word "for".
Is the word язык (language) in the Nominative or Accusative case here?
It is in the Accusative case because it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb (it is what the student is studying). For masculine, inanimate (non-living) nouns like язык, the Accusative form is identical to the dictionary (Nominative) form.
Learn Студент изучает язык две недели and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free