Breakdown of Меня зовут Ольга.
меня зовут
my name is
Questions & Answers about Меня зовут Ольга.
Why does this use Меня instead of Я or Мой?
In Russian, you don't say "I am" or "My name is" to introduce yourself. Instead, you use Меня, which means "me". The literal translation of this whole phrase is "They call me Olga."
Why does the verb зовут end in -ут?
зовут is the "they" form of the verb звать (to call). Because the literal meaning of the phrase is "they call me," we must use the "they" ending for the verb.
Who is "they" in this sentence if the word Они (they) isn't there?
There is no specific "they" here. Russian often uses the "they" form of a verb without the actual pronoun to express a general action. It is similar to saying "people call me" or "I am called" in English.
Do I need to change the ending of my name when introducing myself this way?
No! When you use the Меня зовут structure, you just put your name exactly as it is in its basic form. Ольга stays Ольга.
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