Breakdown of Жена часто навязывает своё мнение своему мужу.
часто
often
муж
husband
жена
wife
свой
one's own
мнение
opinion
навязывать
to impose
Questions & Answers about Жена часто навязывает своё мнение своему мужу.
Why do we use своё and своему instead of её (her) in this sentence?
The pronoun свой (and its various forms) always refers back to the subject of the sentence, which here is Жена (the wife). If we used её мнение or её мужу, it would mean she is imposing another woman's opinion on another woman's husband!
What case is своему мужу, and why?
It is in the Dative case. The verb навязывать (to impose) requires the Dative case for the person receiving the action, similar to saying you impose something 'to' someone. своему is the masculine Dative form of свой, matching мужу.
Why does своё мнение look like it is in the Nominative case if it is the direct object of the sentence?
It is actually in the Accusative case because it is the direct object (the thing being imposed). However, мнение is a neuter inanimate noun. For all neuter inanimate nouns, the Accusative form looks exactly the same as the Nominative (dictionary) form, and this rule applies to the modifier своё as well.
I learned that the root of навязывать relates to tying or knitting. How does it mean 'imposes' here?
You are exactly right! The root вяз- relates to tying or binding, like in the verb вязать (to knit or tie). By adding the prefix на- (onto), навязывать literally creates the image of tying or attaching your thoughts onto someone else against their will, which means to impose.
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