Его галстук чёрный.

Questions & Answers about Его галстук чёрный.

Where is the verb "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" is almost always left out. The sentence literally translates to "His tie black." You only add a verb if you are talking about the past (был) or the future (будет).
Why is the "г" in Его pronounced like a "v"?
In Russian, the letter г is pronounced like a "v" in the words его (his/him) and кого (whom/whose), as well as in the genitive adjective endings -ого and -его. Because of this rule, Его is pronounced "ye-VO".
Does the word Его change endings to match the noun it owns?
No. Unlike standard possessive pronouns such as мой (my) or наш (our), the words for his (его), her (её), and their (их) are completely frozen. They never change their endings, no matter the gender, number, or case of the noun they belong to.
Why does чёрный end in -ый here?
Adjectives must match the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe. Because галстук (tie) is a masculine noun in the nominative (subject) case, the adjective takes the standard masculine nominative ending -ый.

Learn Его галстук чёрный 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