Breakdown of Вчера я был болен и чувствовал себя плохо.
и
and
я
I
плохо
badly
вчера
yesterday
быть
to be
болен
ill (болен, больна, больны)
себя
oneself (себе: Dat/Prep)
чувствовать
to feel
чувствовать себя
to feel (well, unwell)
Questions & Answers about Вчера я был болен и чувствовал себя плохо.
Why is the word себя in this sentence when the English translation just says 'felt bad'?
In Russian, the verb чувствовать (to feel) requires the reflexive pronoun себя (oneself) when you are talking about your own physical or emotional state. Literally, you are saying 'I felt myself badly.'
What case is себя in this sentence?
It is in the Accusative case. Here, it acts as the direct object of the verb чувствовал. The word себя looks the same in both the Accusative and Genitive cases.
Why use the word болен instead of the normal adjective больной?
болен is a 'short adjective'. In Russian, short adjectives are often used to describe temporary states or conditions rather than permanent traits. Since the speaker was just sick yesterday, the temporary short form is perfect here.
How do we know the speaker of this sentence is male, and how would a woman say it?
Why does the sentence use плохо instead of the adjective плохой?
плохо is an adverb (meaning 'badly'). It is used here because it describes how the action of the verb (чувствовал) was done, rather than describing a noun.
Learn Вчера я был болен и чувствовал себя плохо 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