Questions & Answers about Близкий друг всегда здесь.
Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" is almost always skipped. Instead of saying "A close friend is always here", you simply say "Close friend always here" (Близкий друг всегда здесь).
Why does близкий end in -ий instead of the regular masculine adjective ending -ый?
This happens because of a very common Russian spelling rule: you can never write the letter ы after к (as well as г, х, ж, ч, ш, щ). Because близкий has a к right before the ending, the -ый changes to -ий.
Are there no articles like "a" or "the" before близкий друг?
Exactly! Russian does not use articles at all. Близкий друг can mean "a close friend" or "the close friend" depending on the context. Here, "a close friend" makes the most sense.
Why is there a soft sign (ь) at the end of здесь?
The soft sign does not make a sound on its own, but it tells you to pronounce the consonant right before it (the с) softly, pressing your tongue higher in your mouth. It is a permanent part of the spelling for здесь that you just have to memorize.
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