Breakdown of У нас есть телескоп, и мы видим все звёзды.
и
and
мы
we
видеть
to see
у
at, by
есть
is, there is, to have
весь
all, the whole, everything, everyone (весь, вся, всё, все)
телескоп
telescope
звезда
star
Questions & Answers about У нас есть телескоп, и мы видим все звёзды.
Why do we use все instead of всё here?
Все is the plural form for "all", used here because it describes the plural noun звёзды (stars). Всё (with an ё) is the neuter singular form, which usually means "everything" or "all of it" when talking about neuter nouns. They are very easy to mix up, but remember that все goes with plurals!
What case is все звёзды in, and why didn't the ending change?
It is in the Accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb видим (we see). For inanimate (non-living) plural nouns like звёзды, the Accusative form looks exactly the same as the Nominative (subject) form. Because the noun copies the Nominative form, the pronoun все does too.
Wait, doesn't звезда (star) usually change to звезду in the Accusative case?
It does when it's singular! If you were looking at just one star, you would say мы видим всю звезду (we see the whole star), using the feminine singular forms. But since we are talking about plural stars here, we use the plural forms (все звёзды).
Why is it мы видим with an и? Doesn't the verb end in -еть?
The verb видеть (to see) is a very common exception. Even though its dictionary form ends in -еть, it conjugates like an -ить verb (Second Conjugation). That is why we say мы видим instead of "мы видем".
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