Questions & Answers about Я знаю этого автора.
Why does the word for author end in "-a" (автора) instead of just being автор?
In Russian, the direct object of a sentence (the person or thing receiving the action) goes into the Accusative case. For masculine nouns that represent a living person or animal (animate nouns), we add -a or -я to the dictionary form. Since an author is a living person, автор becomes автора.
Why is the word for "this" этого instead of этот?
Describing words (like adjectives and words for "this" or "that") must match the noun they are attached to. Because автора is a masculine animate noun in the Accusative case, the word for "this" must also use its masculine animate Accusative form, which is этого.
How do you pronounce этого? Does it sound like a hard "g"?
No, the г here is pronounced like a "v" (EH-tuh-vuh). This is a special pronunciation rule in Russian: whenever you see the endings -ого or -его on an adjective or a pronoun, the г always makes a "v" sound.
What if the object of the sentence wasn't a living thing? Would the endings still change?
No, they wouldn't! If a masculine noun is inanimate (not alive, like a city or a table), it does not change its ending in the Accusative case. The word for "this" wouldn't change either. For example, "I know this city" would simply be Я знаю этот город.
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