Breakdown of Волонтёры часто приносят продукты местным пенсионерам.
часто
often
продукт
product, foodstuff
приносить
to bring
волонтёр
volunteer
местный
local
пенсионер
the pensioner
продукты
groceries, food products
Questions & Answers about Волонтёры часто приносят продукты местным пенсионерам.
How do we get the endings for местным пенсионерам?
This is the Dative plural, used here for the recipients of the groceries. For the noun пенсионер (a hard-stem masculine word), we add -ам to make пенсионерам. For the adjective местный (local), the Dative plural ending is -ым, giving us местным.
Why is there no Russian word for 'to' before местным пенсионерам?
In Russian, the Dative case itself expresses the idea of doing something 'to' or 'for' a recipient. The verb приносить (to bring) connects directly to the recipient in the Dative case, so no extra preposition is needed.
Does продукты always mean 'groceries'?
It literally translates to 'products', but in everyday Russian, продукты is the standard and most common way to say 'groceries' or 'food items'. If you are talking about non-food products, you usually have to specify what kind.
Since продукты is the direct object being brought, shouldn't it be in the Accusative case?
It is in the Accusative case! However, because продукт is an inanimate noun (a non-living thing), its Accusative plural form is exactly the same as its Nominative plural form. Only animate nouns (people and animals) change their endings in the Accusative plural.
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