Word
Я покупаю марку.
Meaning
I am buying a stamp.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Russian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Я покупаю марку.
Why does the word for stamp end in -у (марку) instead of -а (марка)?
In Russian, when a feminine word ending in -а (like марка) is the direct object of a verb - meaning it is the thing being acted upon or bought - its ending changes to -у. This is called the accusative case.
Does покупаю mean 'buy' or 'am buying'?
It can mean both! Russian does not have a separate continuous tense (an 'am doing' tense) like English. Depending on the situation, Я покупаю translates to either 'I buy' or 'I am buying'.
How does the verb покупаю match the pronoun Я?
The dictionary form of this verb is покупать (to buy). To make it match Я (I) in the present tense, you drop the -ть and add -ю. That -ю ending is a very common way to spot the 'I' form of a verb!
Why is there no word for 'a' before марку?
Russian does not use articles like 'a', 'an', or 'the'. You simply say 'I am buying stamp', and the 'a' is naturally understood from the context.