Questions & Answers about Спокойной ночи, брат!
Why do the words for 'Good night' have these specific endings (спокойной ночи instead of спокойная ночь)?
In Russian, when you wish someone something (like a good night, a good trip, or good luck), you use the Genitive case. It is like saying '(I wish you a night) of peace'. Both спокойной and ночи are in the Genitive case here.
Does спокойной literally mean 'good'?
No, the literal translation of спокойный is 'peaceful' or 'calm'. So, Russians literally wish each other a 'peaceful night' rather than a 'good night'.
How do I know the gender of ночь (night) if it ends in a soft sign (-ь)?
Why doesn't the word брат change its ending when we are talking directly to him?
When you address someone by their title, relation, or name in Russian, you generally just use the basic dictionary form (the Nominative case). So брат stays exactly as it is without any special endings.
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