Breakdown of Меня зовут Ольга, а её зовут Анна.
она
she / it (for a feminine noun)
а
and (contrastive)
звать
to call, to name
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Questions & Answers about Меня зовут Ольга, а её зовут Анна.
Why does this sentence use Меня and её instead of the Russian words for "my" and "hers"?
In Russian, you don't usually say "my name is". Instead, the standard phrase literally translates to "they call me". Because you are the one receiving the action, you must use the direct object (accusative) pronouns for "me" (меня) and "her" (её) rather than possessive words like "my" or "her".
Who is the "they" doing the calling in the verb зовут?
No one in particular! Зовут is the "they" form of the verb звать (to call). Using this plural verb form without actually putting the word "they" (они) in the sentence is a very common Russian way to make a general statement. It works just like saying "they say" in English when you mean people in general.
Why is the conjunction а used here instead of и for "and"?
The word а is a contrastive conjunction. It is used to point out a difference or make a comparison between two things, and it can mean "and", "but", or "whereas". Because we are comparing what I am called to what she is called, а is the natural choice. И is used when you are just grouping similar things together without any contrast.
Are the names Ольга and Анна in the nominative (dictionary) case here?
Yes! Even though the pronouns (меня, её) change to the accusative case because those people are being called, the actual names they are being called stay in the basic nominative case. You are essentially saying "They call me [by the name] Olga."