Breakdown of Мы любим рисовать цветными красками.
мы
we
любить
to love, to like
рисовать
to draw
цветной
colored
краска
the paint
Questions & Answers about Мы любим рисовать цветными красками.
Why is there no preposition like с (with) before the paints?
In Russian, when you use the Instrumental case to show the tool used to perform an action (like drawing by means of paints), you do not use a preposition. You only use the preposition с (with) when you mean doing something alongside someone or something else, like drawing with a friend.
Why does the word for paints end in -ами?
The dictionary form is краска (paint), and its plural is краски (paints). Because we are using the paints as a tool, we need the plural Instrumental case. For most nouns, the plural Instrumental ending is -ами, making it красками.
How does the adjective цветными (colored) match the noun?
Adjectives must match their nouns in gender, number, and case. Since красками is in the plural Instrumental case, the adjective цветной (colored) takes the regular plural Instrumental adjective ending, which is -ыми. This gives us цветными.
If we are using paints, why do we use the verb рисовать (to draw) instead of a word for painting?
In Russian, рисовать is used for both drawing (with pencils) and casual painting (like a hobby or children's art). While there is a specific word for professional fine art painting (писать, which looks exactly like the word for 'to write'), рисовать красками is the most common way to say 'to paint' in everyday life.
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