Questions & Answers about Ты можешь водить машину?
Why is the second verb, водить, in its dictionary form (infinitive)?
When you use a modal verb like мочь (to be able to), only the first verb changes to match the subject. Here, можешь matches Ты (you). The second verb, водить (to drive), stays in its original dictionary form, just like in English.
Why does машина change to машину in this sentence?
Машину is in the accusative case because it is the direct object — the thing receiving the action of the verb водить (to drive). For feminine nouns ending in -а like машина, the ending changes to -у when it is the object.
I learned that ехать means to go by transport. Why use водить here?
While ехать means to travel or to ride in a vehicle, водить literally means to lead or to guide. The specific phrase водить машину is used to talk about the physical skill or action of operating a car, which is exactly what this sentence asks about.
How do we know this is a question when the word order looks exactly like a normal statement?
Russian does not use helping words like do or does to make questions, and you do not have to swap the word order. To turn the statement Ты можешь водить машину into a question, you simply raise the pitch of your voice on the key word when speaking.
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