Questions & Answers about Стул низкий.
Why isn't there a word for "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the verb "to be" (like "is" or "are") is skipped in the present tense. You simply put the subject (стул) and its description (низкий) right next to each other.
How do we know it means "the chair" and not "a chair"?
Russian doesn't have articles like "a", "an", or "the". Depending on what makes sense in the situation, стул can mean "a chair" or "the chair". Since we are describing a specific chair's height here, "the chair" is the most natural English translation.
Why does низкий end in -ий instead of the usual masculine ending -ый?
Because of a strict Russian spelling rule! Стул is a masculine noun, so its adjective needs a masculine ending. Usually, that is -ый, but after the letter к (and six other specific letters), you are never allowed to write ы. You must use и instead, making the ending -ий.
Does the з in низкий sound like an English "s"?
Yes, it does! In Russian, when a "voiced" consonant like з comes right before a "voiceless" one like к, it loses its voice to match its neighbor. So, низкий is actually pronounced more like "нис-кий". This makes the word easier to say!
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