Questions & Answers about Мой друг сильный.
Where is the word for 'is' in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb 'to be' (am, is, are) is almost always left out. You are literally just saying 'My friend strong'.
Why do we use Мой instead of Моя here?
Мой is the word for 'my' used with masculine nouns. Because the noun друг (friend) is masculine, the pronoun has to match its gender. If you were talking about a female friend (подруга), you would use the feminine form Моя.
Why does the word сильный end in -ый?
The -ый ending is the standard dictionary ending for masculine adjectives. Just like the word for 'my', the adjective 'strong' has to match the masculine gender of друг.
What is the difference between Мой друг сильный and Мой сильный друг?
Word order changes the meaning here. When the adjective comes after the noun, as in Мой друг сильный, it acts as the whole statement: 'My friend is strong'. If you put the adjective before the noun (Мой сильный друг), it forms a phrase meaning 'My strong friend' and sounds like you are about to say what that friend is doing.
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