Breakdown of Зимой люди часто болеют.
человек
person
часто
often
зимой
in winter
болеть
to hurt, to ache; to be ill
Questions & Answers about Зимой люди часто болеют.
Why is "Зимой" used instead of "В зиме" or "Зима" for "In winter"?
To say that something happens during a certain season, Russian uses the instrumental case without a preposition. The noun зима (winter) becomes зимой (in winter). You do the same with other seasons, like летом (in summer) or весной (in spring).
What is the singular form of люди?
The singular form is человек (person). In Russian, the plural word for "people" uses a completely different root than the singular word for "person".
Does болеют mean "fall ill" or "are sick"?
It can mean both! Болеть is an imperfective verb, so it describes the ongoing state of being sick or the repeated action of falling ill. Because this sentence includes часто (often), it implies people repeatedly get sick.
Why does the verb end in "-ют"?
This is the "they" form of the verb болеть. It ends in "-ют" because it matches the plural subject люди (people) and belongs to the first conjugation group.