Questions & Answers about Мы едем в зоопарк.
Why is "are going" translated as едем here instead of another word for "go"?
In Russian, you must use different verbs depending on whether you are walking or taking transport. Едем comes from the verb ехать, which means to go by a vehicle (like a car, bus, or train). If you were walking to the zoo, you would use идём instead.
Why doesn't the word зоопарк change its ending after the preposition в? I thought destinations change their endings.
You are right that destinations following в (meaning "to" or "into") take the accusative case. However, зоопарк is a masculine, inanimate noun (it ends in a consonant and isn't a living being). For masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative form looks exactly the same as the basic dictionary form, so the spelling stays exactly the same.
Does едем mean "go" or "are going"?
It can mean both, but here it means "are going." Russian doesn't have a separate tense for actions happening right now like English does. The single word едем covers both general habits and continuous actions happening at this very moment.
How do I pronounce в зоопарк? Do I pause between the words?
You shouldn't pause. Short prepositions like в attach themselves to the following word in speech. It is pronounced smoothly together as if it were one word: взоопарк.
Learn Мы едем в зоопарк and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free