Breakdown of Мой брат хочет стать программистом.
брат
brother
мой
my (мой, моя, моё) / mine
хотеть
to want
стать
to become
программист
programmer
Questions & Answers about Мой брат хочет стать программистом.
Why does the word for programmer end in -ом (программистом) instead of just being программист?
After the verb стать (to become), Russian uses the Instrumental case to describe the profession or role someone is taking on. Since программист is a masculine noun ending in a hard consonant, it takes the -ом ending in the Instrumental case.
Could I use the verb быть (to be) instead of стать here?
Yes, but the meaning changes slightly. Хочет стать программистом means he wants to become a programmer (focusing on the transition), while хочет быть программистом means he wants to be a programmer (focusing on the state of being one). Both verbs require the Instrumental case for the profession.
Why is стать in the infinitive (dictionary) form here?
Because it follows the conjugated verb хочет (wants). Just like in English (wants to become), when two verbs are paired together to express a single idea, the second verb stays in its infinitive form.
I remember that хотеть (to want) is an irregular verb. How does it work here?
You remembered correctly! Хотеть is unusual because it mixes two different conjugation patterns. In the singular forms like хочет (he/she wants), it uses "e-type" verb endings. However, in the plural forms, it switches to "i-type" endings, like мы хотим (we want) and они хотят (they want).
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