Breakdown of Переводчик свободно владеет иностранными языками.
язык
language
переводчик
translator
иностранный
foreign
свободно
fluently
владеть
to master
Questions & Answers about Переводчик свободно владеет иностранными языками.
Why is иностранными языками in the Instrumental case?
The verb владеть (here, владеет) is one of those specific verbs that require their object to be in the Instrumental case. While 'foreign languages' feels like a standard direct object in English, Russian uses the Instrumental here because the verb's core idea is to 'command' or 'manage' something.
I thought владеть meant 'to own' or 'to possess'. How does it mean 'to be fluent'?
You are right that its literal meaning is to own physical property. However, when applied to skills, tools, or knowledge—like a language or a musical instrument—it means you have a solid 'command' of it. So, 'possessing a language' is the Russian way of expressing mastery over it.
Why does the sentence use свободно? Doesn't that mean 'freely'?
Could I say говорит на иностранных языках instead?
Yes, you could say свободно говорит на иностранных языках (speaks foreign languages fluently). The difference is nuance. Владеть sounds more professional and emphasizes mastery of the language as a skill, which fits perfectly for a переводчик (translator). Just remember the grammar changes: говорить needs на + Prepositional case, while владеть takes the Instrumental case with no preposition.
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