Questions & Answers about Мы гордимся Чеховым.
Why does the surname end in -ым (Чеховым) instead of the usual masculine noun ending -ом?
Russian surnames ending in -ов, -ев, and -ин follow special rules. In the instrumental case, they take the adjective ending -ым instead of the standard noun ending -ом. That is why Чехов becomes Чеховым.
Why is the name in the instrumental case to begin with?
The verb гордиться (to be proud of) always requires the object of your pride to be in the instrumental case. Think of it as priding yourself with someone or something.
What would this sentence look like if we were proud of a female relative of his, like his sister?
The female version of the surname is Чехова. Female surnames ending in -ова take the adjective ending -ой in the instrumental case. So, the sentence would be Мы гордимся Чеховой.
The verb гордимся has the reflexive ending -ся. Can I use it without that ending?
No, гордиться is a verb that only exists in this reflexive form in modern Russian. You cannot drop the -ся (or -сь after vowels) at the end.
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