Word
Где можно изучать лингвистику?
Meaning
Where can one study linguistics?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Где можно изучать лингвистику?
где
where / wherever
изучать
to study
можно
one may, it is allowed
лингвистика
linguistics
Questions & Answers about Где можно изучать лингвистику?
Why do we use изучать here instead of учиться?
Even though the sentence asks Где (where), which often triggers учиться (to be a student somewhere), the presence of the specific academic subject (лингвистику) means we need a verb that can take a direct object. Учиться cannot take a direct object, but изучать (to study a subject in depth) does!
Could I say Где можно учить лингвистику?
It would be understood, but it sounds less natural. Учить is often used for memorizing things (like vocabulary or a script) or for basic school subjects. For a complex, university-level academic discipline like linguistics, изучать is the standard and most natural choice.
Why does the word for linguistics end in -у here?
Because it is in the accusative case. The dictionary form is лингвистика (a feminine noun ending in -а). Because изучать requires a direct object (the thing you are studying), the noun takes the accusative case, changing the -а to -у.
Why is there no word for "one" or "you" in the Russian sentence?
The word можно (it is possible) creates an impersonal sentence. When paired directly with an infinitive verb like изучать, it expresses a general possibility for anyone. Russian simply says "Where is it possible to study linguistics?" without needing a pronoun like "you" or "one".