Breakdown of Можно парковаться около театра?
театр
theater
можно
one may, it is allowed
около
near
парковаться
to park
Questions & Answers about Можно парковаться около театра?
How does можно work here without a subject like 'I' or 'we'?
Можно is an impersonal word used to express general permission or possibility. Instead of saying 'Can I park?' or 'Are people allowed to park?', Russian simply pairs можно directly with an infinitive verb (парковаться) to ask 'Is it allowed to park?'.
Why does the verb парковаться end with the reflexive suffix -ся?
In English, we just say 'to park', whether we mention the vehicle or not. In Russian, парковать (without -ся) needs a direct object, like a car (парковать машину). Because this sentence doesn't mention the car itself, you must use the reflexive form парковаться to mean the general action of parking.
Why is it театра instead of the dictionary form театр?
The word театр is in the genitive case here, which adds an -а to the end of the masculine noun. This change is triggered by the preposition около (near/by). Whenever you use около, the noun that follows it must take the genitive case.
Could I use у instead of около in this sentence?