Breakdown of Шёлк здесь никогда не продаётся.
не
not
здесь
here
никогда
never
продаваться
to be sold
шёлк
silk
Questions & Answers about Шёлк здесь никогда не продаётся.
Why does продаётся end in -ся if silk isn't selling itself?
This is a perfect example of a reflexive verb being used to create a passive meaning, which is exactly what you are studying right now! The base verb продавать means "to sell." By adding the reflexive ending -ся, it translates as "to be sold." So, Шёлк продаётся means "Silk is sold."
Why are both никогда and не used here?
Russian uses double negatives. Whenever you use a negative word like никогда (never) or никто (nobody), you must also place не directly before the verb. While English says "is never sold," Russian literally phrases it as "never is not sold."
Why do we use the imperfective verb продаётся here instead of a perfective form?
The word никогда (never) describes a permanent state or a general fact, rather than a single, completed event. In Russian, general truths or routines (even a "zero" routine, like something never happening) always require the imperfective aspect.
How should I pronounce the -тся ending in продаётся?
Whenever a verb ends in -тся or -ться, that ending is pronounced like -ца (tsa). Even though it is spelled with a T and an S sound, the whole word is pronounced as "пра-да-ё-ца".
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