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Questions & Answers about Нужно много читать.
Why is there no word for 'one' or 'you' in the Russian sentence?
Нужно (it is necessary / one needs) is an impersonal word. When you use it without pointing to a specific person (like мне нужно for 'I need'), it becomes a general statement meaning 'one needs to' or 'it is necessary to'.
Why is читать in its dictionary form (infinitive)?
Words expressing need, possibility, or desire (like нужно, надо, or verbs like мочь and хотеть) are followed by the infinitive form of the action verb. Since we are saying 'need to read', читать stays in its unconjugated infinitive form.
Why does много come before читать instead of after it?
In Russian, adverbs like много (a lot / much) typically go before the verb they describe. While читать много is understandable, много читать sounds much more natural to a Russian ear.
Could I use надо instead of нужно here?
Yes, you can say Надо много читать. Надо and нужно mean the same thing ('need to' / 'it is necessary') and are both followed by the infinitive. Надо is a little more conversational, while нужно is slightly more formal, but they are fully interchangeable here.