Breakdown of Зачем ты достаёшь старые вещи из-под кровати?
кровать
bed
ты
you (singular)
старый
old
вещь
thing
зачем
why, what for
доставать
to take out (from a pocket or container)
из-под
from under
Questions & Answers about Зачем ты достаёшь старые вещи из-под кровати?
Why does кровати end in -и here?
It is in the Genitive case because it follows the preposition из-под (from under). The word кровать (bed) is a feminine noun ending in a soft sign (-ь), so its Genitive ending is -и.
Could I use почему instead of зачем in this sentence?
You could, but it changes the meaning slightly. Зачем asks about the purpose or goal ("What for?" or "What do you need them for?"). Почему asks about the root cause or reason ("What caused you to get them?"). Here, the speaker wants to know what the person plans to do with the old things.
Why does the verb доставать become достаёшь in the present tense? Where did the -ва- go?
Доставать (to take out / to get) belongs to a specific group of verbs ending in -вать where the -ва- suffix drops out entirely when conjugated in the present tense. You have likely seen this before with verbs like давать (to give) and вставать (to get up).
What case is старые вещи in?
It is in the Accusative case because it is the direct object (the thing being taken out). Since вещи (things) is an inanimate noun, its Accusative plural form looks exactly identical to its Nominative plural form.
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