Breakdown of Они верят в приметы и ожидают чуда.
и
and
они
they
в
in / to (direction)
верить
to believe
чудо
miracle
ожидать
to expect
примета
omen (f)
Questions & Answers about Они верят в приметы и ожидают чуда.
Why is чуда in the Genitive case here? Shouldn't a direct object be Accusative?
This is the special rule for verbs of expectation, such as ожидать (to expect) and ждать (to wait). When you expect or wait for something abstract, intangible, or indefinite—like a miracle (чудо)—these verbs require the Genitive case. Therefore, the neuter noun чудо changes to чуда.
Why do we say верят в приметы (Accusative) instead of just using the Dative case?
It depends on what is being believed. When верить means "to trust or believe a person," it takes the Dative case with no preposition (for example, Они верят мне - They believe me). However, when it means "to believe in an idea, concept, or phenomenon" (like omens, God, or magic), you must use в + Accusative case.
Is приметы in the Nominative or Accusative plural here?
It is in the Accusative plural. The singular is the feminine noun примета (omen/sign). Because omens are inanimate, the Accusative plural form looks exactly identical to the Nominative plural form (приметы).
Could I use ждут instead of ожидают in this sentence?
Yes, you could say ждут чуда, and the meaning would be exactly the same. Ожидать is simply a slightly more formal version of ждать. It is heavily used when talking about abstract expectations like a miracle, a result, or a change, making it a perfect stylistic fit for this sentence.
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