Breakdown of Для работы можно пользоваться моим старым компьютером.
старый
old
мой
my (мой, моя, моё) / mine
компьютер
computer
работа
work, job
можно
one may, it is allowed
для
for
пользоваться
to use
Questions & Answers about Для работы можно пользоваться моим старым компьютером.
Why is "my old computer" in the Instrumental case (моим старым компьютером) here?
The verb пользоваться (to use) always requires the object you are using to be in the Instrumental case. Even though it translates as a direct object in English, in Russian you are grammatically saying something closer to "make use WITH the computer."
How do we form the endings for the possessive pronoun and adjective in моим старым?
Since компьютер is a masculine noun, we need the masculine Instrumental endings. The possessive pronoun мой changes to моим (taking the -им ending), and the adjective старый changes to старым (taking the -ым ending).
Why does the sentence start with Для работы instead of Для работа?
The preposition для (for) always requires the following noun to be in the Genitive case. Because работа is a feminine noun ending in -а, it changes to -ы to become работы.
Why does the verb пользоваться have the reflexive -ся ending here?
While reflexive verbs often mean doing an action to yourself, many Russian verbs just require this ending as part of their standard dictionary form. The non-reflexive version of this word is almost never used in modern Russian, so you will always use it with -ся when it means "to use."
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