Word
В университете мы изучаем лингвистику и перевод.
Meaning
At the university, we study linguistics and translation.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of В университете мы изучаем лингвистику и перевод.
и
and
мы
we
изучать
to study
в
in / to (direction)
Questions & Answers about В университете мы изучаем лингвистику и перевод.
Why do we use изучаем here instead of учимся?
We use изучаем because the sentence names the specific academic subjects being studied. The verb изучать requires a direct object (what you study) in the accusative case. учиться means "to be a student" or describes where/how you study, and it never takes a direct object. You can say Мы учимся в университете (We study at the university), but you cannot put a subject like linguistics directly after it.
Could we say мы учим лингвистику instead of мы изучаем?
No, that would sound strange. Even though учить also takes the accusative case, it is used for memorizing smaller pieces of information, like vocabulary words (учить слова), a poem, or a rule. Because linguistics and translation are broad, complex academic disciplines, изучать is the correct verb to use.
Both subjects are direct objects, so why did лингвистика change to лингвистику while перевод didn't change?
Both words are in the accusative case because they are the direct objects of изучаем. For feminine nouns ending in -а like лингвистика, the ending changes to -у. However, перевод is a masculine inanimate noun (it is an abstract concept, not a living person or animal). Masculine inanimate nouns in the accusative case look exactly the same as their dictionary (nominative) form.
Why does the sentence use в университете with an "e" at the end?