Breakdown of Я учусь на первом курсе.
я
I
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
учиться
to study (be a student)
первый
first (1st)
курс
course
Questions & Answers about Я учусь на первом курсе.
Why does this sentence use учусь instead of учу or изучаю?
The verb учиться is used when you are talking about where or how you study, or simply the fact that you are a student. Because this sentence describes your status and where you are in your education (being in your first year) rather than a specific subject you are memorizing or researching, учусь is the correct choice.
Why do we use the preposition на here instead of в?
In Russian, when you talk about being in a specific year of university study (курс), you always use на (literally "on the first course") instead of в. It is a set phrase you just have to memorize.
What case is первом курсе in, and why?
It is in the Prepositional case. We use the Prepositional case after на when answering the question "where?" (or in this abstract sense, "where in your studies?"). The dictionary forms (Nominative case) are первый and курс.
Does курс here mean a specific class I am taking?
No. In the context of Russian universities, курс refers to your year of study. So на первом курсе means "in my first year" (as a freshman), not a specific seminar or lecture. To talk about a specific school subject, you would usually use предмет.
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