Learn Russian: Мы говорим о проблеме современного искусства. - We are talking about the problem of modern art.

Мы говорим о проблеме современного искусства.

We are talking about the problem of modern art.

Breakdown of Мы говорим о проблеме современного искусства.

Questions & Answers about Мы говорим о проблеме современного искусства.

Why does современного end in -ого?

It means "of modern", which requires the genitive case. The noun it describes is искусство (art), which is neuter. For masculine and neuter adjectives in the genitive case, the ending is -ого.

I see a "г" in современного, but why does it sound like a "в"?

That is a special pronunciation rule in Russian! The adjective genitive endings -ого and -его are always pronounced with a "v" sound instead of a "g". So it sounds like "sovremennovo".

Why is it искусства instead of its dictionary form искусство?

It is also in the genitive case to express "of art" in the phrase "problem of modern art". To make the genitive singular of a neuter noun ending in -о, you change the -о to -а.

Why is it о проблеме with an -е at the end?

The preposition о (about) requires the prepositional case. The dictionary form is the feminine noun проблема. In the prepositional case, that -а ending changes to -е.