Breakdown of Мама варит щи каждую неделю.
мама
mom
неделя
week
каждый
every
щи
cabbage soup
варить
to boil, to cook (in water)
Questions & Answers about Мама варит щи каждую неделю.
Why use варит instead of готовит or делает for 'makes'?
Варить specifically means 'to boil' or 'to cook in boiling water.' In Russian, we almost always use this verb for making soups (like щи or борщ), as well as pasta or potatoes. You could say готовит (the general word for 'cooks'), but варит is the most natural choice for soup. We don't use делает (makes/does) for cooking meals.
Why is 'every week' written as каждую неделю?
To express how often something happens (like 'every week' or 'every minute'), Russian uses the accusative case. Since неделя (week) is a feminine noun, the dictionary form каждая неделя changes its endings to -ую and -ю, becoming каждую неделю.
What case is щи here, and why hasn't its ending changed?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object (the thing being cooked). The word щи (traditional cabbage soup) is a plural-only noun. Because it is inanimate (not alive), its plural accusative form looks exactly the same as its dictionary (nominative) form.
Could I say мать instead of мама here?
You could, but мама is the everyday, affectionate word for 'mum' or 'mom.' Мать translates to 'mother' and sounds much more formal, serious, or distant. For a cozy, everyday sentence about a parent cooking soup, мама is the best choice.
Learn Мама варит щи каждую неделю and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free