Breakdown of Мы идём на оперу.
мы
we
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
идти
to go (on foot) / to proceed, go (of a process)
опера
opera
Questions & Answers about Мы идём на оперу.
Why do we use на instead of в for 'to' in this sentence?
Because опера here refers to the event or performance, not the physical building. In Russian, we use the preposition на when going to events, activities, or shows, rather than в which is used for entering enclosed spaces.
Why is the word for opera spelled оперу instead of опера?
It changes to show the destination of your movement. When you use в or на to say you are going to a place, feminine nouns that normally end in -а change their ending to -у. This is called the Accusative case.
If I wanted to ask 'Where are we going?', which 'where' word would I use?
You must use куда (to where), because you are asking about a destination. The question would be Куда мы идём?. You cannot use где, because that only asks where something is currently located.
Does идём mean we are walking or driving to the opera?
The verb идём specifically means going on foot. If you were taking a taxi or driving to the opera, you would use a different verb for going by transport (едем).
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