Breakdown of Это предок, запись которого я ищу.
это
this / it is
я
I
искать
to look for
который
which / who / that (relative pronoun)
предок
ancestor
запись
record
Questions & Answers about Это предок, запись которого я ищу.
Why do we use которого here instead of just который?
We use the Genitive case которого here to mean 'whose' or 'of whom'. It is masculine singular because it refers back to the masculine noun предок (ancestor). Literally, the clause means 'the record of whom I am looking for'.
Why is the word order запись которого instead of которого запись?
When using который in the Genitive case to show possession (meaning 'whose'), Russian puts the possessed object first. So instead of saying 'whose record', you say 'record of whom' (запись которого).
What case is the word запись in this sentence?
It is in the Accusative case because it is the direct object of the action (you are looking for the record). Because запись is a feminine inanimate noun ending in a soft sign, its Accusative form looks exactly the same as its basic dictionary form.
Why does the verb ищу look so different from its dictionary form?
ищу is the 'I' form of the verb искать (to look for). It has a common spelling shift where the ск in the root changes to щ when conjugated (я ищу, ты ищешь). Note that Russian does not use an extra preposition for 'for' here; the verb itself covers 'to search for'.
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