Breakdown of Он любит природу степей.
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
любить
to love, to like
природа
nature
степь
steppe
Questions & Answers about Он любит природу степей.
Why does the word for steppes end in -ей here?
The dictionary form is степь (steppe), which ends in a soft sign (-ь). In the genitive plural, nouns ending in a soft sign drop the -ь and add -ей. This is why it becomes степей (of the steppes).
Does the gender of степь matter for this genitive plural ending?
степь is a feminine noun, but for this specific rule, gender doesn't matter! Both masculine and feminine nouns that end in a soft sign (-ь) will take the -ей ending in the genitive plural.
Why is степей in the genitive case if there is no preposition?
The genitive case is used here to connect two nouns and show belonging or association, which is usually translated as 'of' in English. So, природа степей directly translates to 'the nature of the steppes'.
Why is the word for nature spelled природу instead of природа?
Because it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb любит (loves). The dictionary form природа is a feminine noun ending in -а, so it changes to -у in the accusative case.
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