Breakdown of Мама трогает лоб: температура.
мама
mom
температура
temperature, fever
трогать
to touch
лоб
forehead
Questions & Answers about Мама трогает лоб: температура.
The translation says "his forehead", but there is no Russian word for "his". Why is it left out?
In Russian, possessive pronouns (like his, my, or your) are usually dropped when talking about body parts, as long as the context makes it obvious whose body part it is. Adding его (his) here would sound unnatural.
Since the forehead is receiving the action (being touched), why isn't лоб in the accusative case?
It actually is in the accusative case! Лоб is a masculine, inanimate noun (a non-living thing). For inanimate masculine nouns, the accusative case form is identical to the nominative (dictionary) form.
How does the word температура mean "a fever"?
Температура literally translates to "temperature." Just like in English (when we say "he has a temperature"), Russians use this word by itself in medical contexts to mean a high body temperature or a fever.
Why is the word температура just sitting there by itself after the colon?
Russian often leaves out verbs like "is" or phrases like "he has" (у него) in storytelling to make the text feel fast and dramatic. The colon connects the action to the result: she touches his forehead, and the result is a fever.
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