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Questions & Answers about Моё отчество — Иванович.
Why do we use Моё instead of Мой or Моя?
Моё is the neuter form of the word 'my'. We use it here because the word for patronymic, отчество, ends in -о, which makes it a neuter noun.
What exactly is an отчество (patronymic)?
In Russia, a full name consists of a first name, a patronymic, and a last name. The patronymic is created from the father's first name. Using a person's first name and patronymic together is the standard way to show respect in formal situations, similar to using Mr. or Ms. in English.
Why is there a dash (—) in the middle of the sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb 'to be' (am, is, are) is almost always left out. When writing a sentence that simply says one thing is another thing, Russians often use a dash to represent that missing word.
How does the name Ivan become the patronymic Иванович?
For men, patronymics are typically formed by adding the suffix -ович or -евич to their father's first name. Therefore, Иванович essentially means 'son of Ivan'. For a daughter, the suffix is usually -овна or -евна, making it Ивановна.