Breakdown of Вот дедушка, линию которого я изучаю.
я
I
изучать
to study
дедушка
grandfather
вот
here is, there is
который
which / who / that (relative pronoun)
линия
line
Questions & Answers about Вот дедушка, линию которого я изучаю.
Why do we use которого here, and what does it mean?
Которого is the Genitive masculine form of который (which/who). We use masculine because it refers back to дедушка (grandfather). We use the Genitive case because it translates to 'of whom' or 'whose', meaning the line belongs to him.
Why does the sentence say линию которого instead of которого линию?
In English, we say 'whose line'. But in Russian, when you use the Genitive form которого to mean 'whose', it normally goes right after the noun it possesses. You are literally saying 'the line of whom'.
Why is линию in the Accusative case?
Линию is the direct object of the verb изучаю (I am studying). Even though it is placed at the start of the second part of the sentence, it is still the thing you are studying. The dictionary form is линия (feminine), which changes to линию in the Accusative case.
Could I use учу instead of изучаю here?
It is much better to use изучаю. The verb изучать is used when you are deeply researching or analyzing a complex subject, like a family tree, science, or history. The verb учить is used more for memorizing things, like a poem or a list of words.
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