Breakdown of Сегодня она должна чистить сапоги и стирать бельё.
и
and
она
she / it (for a feminine noun)
сегодня
today
сапог
boot
должен
must, have to
стирать
to wash clothes
бельё
laundry
чистить
to brush
Questions & Answers about Сегодня она должна чистить сапоги и стирать бельё.
Why does the sentence use должна instead of the base form должен?
Why is the verb стирать used for "to wash" here instead of мыть?
In Russian, the verb you use for washing depends on what you are washing. стирать is used exclusively for washing clothes, fabrics, or laundry. If she were washing the floor, the dishes, or her hands, you would use мыть.
What case are the words сапоги (boots) and бельё (laundry) in?
They are both in the accusative case because they are the direct objects receiving the actions of cleaning and washing. Since they are inanimate objects, their accusative forms look exactly the same as their basic dictionary (nominative) forms.
Why do we use the imperfective verbs чистить and стирать after должна?
When describing daily chores, general routines, or the process of doing work, Russian usually uses the imperfective aspect. The sentence focuses on the fact that these are her duties for the day, rather than stressing the final, completed result of the tasks.
Learn Сегодня она должна чистить сапоги и стирать бельё 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