Questions & Answers about У нас есть четыре яблока.
Why is the word for apples яблока instead of the plural яблоки?
This is the main rule for numbers in this lesson! After the numbers 2, 3, and 4, Russian requires the noun to be in the Genitive singular case. Since яблоко (apple) is a neuter noun ending in -о, its Genitive singular form is яблока (changing the -о to -а).
Wait, so is яблока grammatically singular even though there are four of them?
Exactly! In English we use the plural (apples), but Russian grammar requires the Genitive singular after 2, 3, and 4. You can think of it as literally saying "four of an apple". You will learn how to handle numbers 5 and higher later.
Why does the sentence use У нас есть instead of a direct verb for "to have"?
Russian rarely uses a direct verb for "have". Instead, it expresses possession by saying "At us exists". It uses the preposition У (by/at) followed by a pronoun in the Genitive case. The Genitive of мы (we) is нас. Then we add есть (is/exists).
Can I drop the word есть and just say У нас четыре яблока?
Yes, you can! Leaving out есть is very common in conversational Russian, especially when you want to emphasize the quantity of items you have rather than the mere fact that you possess them.