Breakdown of Я хочу задать вопрос.
я
I
хотеть
to want
вопрос
question
задать
to ask (a question), to set
задать вопрос
to ask a question
Questions & Answers about Я хочу задать вопрос.
How would I say "I want to ask YOU a question" using the pronouns from this lesson?
You would use a dative pronoun like тебе (to you, informal) or вам (to you, formal/plural). In Russian, you "give" a question TO someone, so the person receives the action in the dative case. You would say: Я хочу задать тебе вопрос.
Why does this sentence use задать instead of the regular verb for "to ask", спросить?
In Russian, you cannot use спросить together with the noun вопрос (question) because it sounds redundant, almost like "to question a question". Instead, Russians use the set phrase задать вопрос, which literally means "to assign a question" or "to set a question".
Is the word вопрос in the nominative case here, since its ending didn't change?
It is actually in the accusative case because it is the direct object (the thing being asked). However, because вопрос is a masculine noun that refers to an inanimate object (not a living thing), its accusative form looks exactly the same as its dictionary (nominative) form.
Why doesn't the verb задать change its ending to match Я (I)?
Because the first verb хочу (want) already changed to match Я. When you link two verbs together like "want to ask", the second verb always stays in its infinitive (dictionary) form, just like the "to ask" part in English.
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