Breakdown of У студента есть три урока и четыре месяца.
и
and
студент
student (m)
три
three
четыре
four
у
at, by
есть
is, there is, to have
месяц
month
урок
lesson
Questions & Answers about У студента есть три урока и четыре месяца.
Why do урок and месяц end in -а in this sentence?
After the numbers 2, 3, and 4 (два, три, четыре), Russian nouns change to their Genitive singular form. Since урок (lesson) and месяц (month) are masculine nouns, they take an -а ending, becoming урока and месяца.
Since there are three lessons and four months, shouldn't the nouns be plural?
That is how it works in English, but Russian has a special rule for small numbers! When counting with 2, 3, and 4, you must use the singular Genitive form of the noun, not the plural. That is why you see the singular forms урока and месяца here.
Are урока and студента both in the Genitive case?
Yes, they are exactly the same case, but they are used for completely different reasons! Студента is in the Genitive case because it comes after the preposition у to show possession ('The student has'). Урока is in the Genitive case because it comes after the number три (three).
What is the word есть doing here?
The word есть literally means 'is' or 'exists'. In the Russian possession structure (У + Genitive noun + есть), it acts like the English verb 'has'. The phrase У студента есть literally translates to 'At the student there is', which is the standard way to say 'The student has'.
Learn У студента есть три урока и четыре месяца 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