Breakdown of Скорость поезда была полтора километра в минуту.
в
in / to (direction)
поезд
train
минута
minute
быть
to be
километр
kilometre
полтора
one and a half [f. полторы, obl. полутора]
скорость
speed
Questions & Answers about Скорость поезда была полтора километра в минуту.
Why is it полтора and not полторы?
Полтора is used with masculine and neuter nouns, while полторы is used with feminine nouns. Since километр (kilometer) is a masculine noun, we use полтора.
Why is километра in the genitive singular?
In the nominative and inanimate accusative cases, полтора follows the same rule as the numbers 2, 3, and 4: it requires the noun that follows it to be in the genitive singular.
Why does the verb была take a feminine ending when поезд is masculine?
The grammatical subject of the sentence is скорость (speed), which is a feminine noun. Поезда is in the genitive case meaning "of the train", so it merely describes the speed and doesn't control the verb.
How does в минуту mean "per minute" here?
To express rates or frequencies in Russian (like "per minute", "a day", or "an hour"), you use the preposition в followed by the accusative case. Here, the feminine noun минута becomes минуту.
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