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Младшая дочь читает.

Младшая дочь читает.
The younger daughter is reading.
From Lesson 41:Family and relatives (внук, родственник)·Russian

Breakdown of Младшая дочь читает.

читать
to read
дочь
daughter
младший
younger

Questions & Answers about Младшая дочь читает.

How do I know that дочь is a feminine noun if it doesn't end in -а or -я?
Most Russian nouns ending in a consonant are masculine, and those ending in -а or -я are feminine. However, words ending in a soft sign (-ь) can be either. Since дочь means 'daughter', it refers to a female person and is naturally feminine.
Why does the adjective младшая end in -ая?
In Russian, adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because дочь is a feminine noun, the adjective takes the feminine ending -ая instead of the masculine ending -ий (младший).
Can младшая also mean 'the youngest'?
Yes! In everyday Russian, младшая дочь can mean 'the younger daughter' (if there are two) or 'the youngest daughter' (if there are three or more). You have to rely on context to know which one it is.
Why is there no word for 'is' in this sentence?
Unlike English, Russian doesn't use a 'to be' helper verb combined with an '-ing' verb to show that an action is happening right now. The single verb читает covers both 'reads' (as a habit) and 'is reading' (at this exact moment).

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