Breakdown of Я занимаюсь спортом.
заниматься спортом
to do sport
Questions & Answers about Я занимаюсь спортом.
Why does the word спорт end in -ом here?
Спорт is a masculine noun. Here it is in the Instrumental case, so it takes the -ом ending. It is in this case because the verb заниматься (to do/to be engaged in) always requires the noun that follows it to be in the Instrumental case.
This lesson is about using the Instrumental case with с (with). Why is there no с in this sentence?
While the preposition с is a very common trigger for the Instrumental case, certain verbs require it all by themselves without any preposition. Заниматься is one of those verbs. You are essentially saying "I occupy myself by means of sport."
Why can't I just say Я делаю спорт using the verb делать (to do)?
In English, we say "I do sport," but languages don't always translate word-for-word. In Russian, делать is used for producing things or doing specific tasks like homework. For regularly practicing a sport, hobby, or subject, you must use заниматься.
Why does занимаюсь end in -сь instead of just -ю?
The dictionary form of this verb is заниматься. The -ся at the end makes it a "reflexive" verb. When you conjugate it for я (I), the regular verb ending is -ю. Because -ю is a vowel, the reflexive part shrinks from -ся to just -сь, giving you занимаюсь.
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