Breakdown of Они смотрят на группу оленей.
они
they
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
смотреть
to watch / to look at / make sure (in a warning)
группа
group
олень
deer
Questions & Answers about Они смотрят на группу оленей.
Why does the word for deer end in -ей here?
The dictionary form for 'deer' is олень, which is a masculine noun ending in a soft sign (-ь). As you are learning in this lesson, nouns ending in -ь take the ending -ей in the genitive plural. Therefore, олень becomes оленей.
Why is оленей in the genitive case to begin with?
In English, we say 'a group OF deer'. In Russian, there is no separate word for 'of' in this context; instead, the noun being grouped or measured goes into the genitive case. Since the group consists of multiple deer, we use the genitive plural.
Why is it на группу? I thought на meant 'on' and used the prepositional case.
While на plus the prepositional case indicates a stationary location ('on'), the verb смотреть (to look) pairs with на plus the accusative case to point out the target or direction of your gaze. Since группа is a feminine noun, its 'а' changes to 'у' to form the accusative группу.
Why is the verb смотрят (they look) spelled with -ят? Doesn't the infinitive смотреть end in -еть?
Yes, but смотреть is a notable exception! Even though it ends in -еть, it belongs to the second conjugation (just like most verbs ending in -ить). That is why the 'they' form takes the -ят ending instead of the -ют ending you might normally expect from an -еть verb.
Learn Они смотрят на группу оленей 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