Breakdown of Он хочет изучать математику и физику.
и
and
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
изучать
to study
хотеть
to want
математика
mathematics
физика
physics
Questions & Answers about Он хочет изучать математику и физику.
Why use изучать here instead of учить or учиться?
Изучать is the right choice when you are studying a specific academic subject in depth, like math or physics. Учить usually means to memorize something (like vocabulary words), and учиться means to be a student at a place (like studying at a university).
Why do the words for math and physics end in -у here?
They are the direct objects of the sentence—the things he wants to study. This means they must be in the Accusative case. Both математика and физика are feminine nouns ending in -а, which changes to -у in the Accusative.
Is хочет a regular verb?
Хотеть (to want) is an irregular mixed verb that is easy to trip over. In the singular forms (I, you, he/she), it takes standard first-conjugation endings with an -е- (like он хочет). But in the plural forms (we, you, they), it switches to second-conjugation endings with an -и- (like они хотят).
Why use the imperfective verb изучать instead of the perfective изучить?
Studying an academic subject is generally an ongoing, continuous process rather than a single, quickly completed event. When you want to express a general, long-term action like this after a verb like хочет, you use the imperfective infinitive.
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