Breakdown of Женщина утверждает, что это не преступление.
это
this / it is
не
not
женщина
woman
что
that (conjunction)
утверждать
to claim
преступление
crime
Questions & Answers about Женщина утверждает, что это не преступление.
Why is there a comma before что?
In Russian, you must always put a comma before the conjunction что (that) when it introduces a reported statement. English often drops the comma or even the word "that" entirely, but Russian strictly requires both: Женщина утверждает, что... (The woman claims, that...).
Is что pronounced differently when it means "that" instead of "what"?
No, it is always pronounced што (shto). In this sentence, it acts as a conjunction meaning "that" to report what the woman said, but the pronunciation stays exactly the same as when you use it to ask "what".
What is the infinitive of утверждает?
The infinitive is утверждать (to claim / to affirm). It is a standard "Type 1" verb. Because the subject is женщина (she), you drop the -ть and add the standard third-person singular ending to get утверждает.
Why is не placed right before the noun преступление?
Because Russian doesn't use a present tense verb for "is" or "is not". To say "this is not a crime", you just place the negative word не directly in front of the noun you are negating: это не преступление (literally: "this not crime").
What case is преступление in here?
It is in the nominative case (the basic dictionary form). In sentences that state what something is (or isn't), both the subject (это) and the noun defining it (преступление) stay in the nominative case.
Learn Женщина утверждает, что это не преступление 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