Questions & Answers about Мой сын здоровый.
Why is there no word for 'is' in the Russian sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb 'to be' is usually left out entirely. You simply state the subject, Мой сын, right next to the adjective, здоровый, and the 'is' is understood automatically.
Why does the word здоровый end in -ый?
Russian adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because сын (son) is a masculine noun, the adjective takes the standard masculine singular ending -ый.
Does Мой change depending on if a mother or a father is speaking?
No, the word for 'my' only changes to match the gender of the thing being possessed, not the owner. Since сын is masculine, you must use the masculine form Мой, whether you are his mother or his father.
I have also seen the word здоров for healthy. What is the difference?
Здоров is a short-form adjective that usually describes a temporary state, like someone recovering from a cold. The long-form здоровый used in this sentence often implies a permanent trait, meaning the son is generally a healthy person by nature.
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