Question 1

The current lesson teaches that казаться (to seem) takes the instrumental case. Why is хорошая идея in the nominative case here?

Accepted Answer

In this sentence, кажется is used impersonally to mean 'it seems'. It introduces a completely separate, independent clause: это хорошая идея (this is a good idea). Because it is a new clause with its own subject (это), the noun stays in the nominative case. You only use the instrumental when a specific subject seems to be something, like in Эта идея кажется хорошей (This idea seems good).

Question 2

Why is Мне (to me) in the dative case?

Accepted Answer

The verb казаться (to seem) requires the dative case to indicate the person who is having the impression. So, мне кажется literally translates to 'to me it seems'. You will use the dative for anyone experiencing this, such as ему кажется (it seems to him) or Анне кажется (it seems to Anna).

Question 3

Could I put the word что (that) after кажется?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you absolutely can! Just like in English where you can say 'It seems to me that this is a good idea', in Russian you can say Мне кажется, что это хорошая идея. Dropping что is very common in everyday spoken Russian, just as dropping 'that' is in English.

Question 4

Why does кажется end in -ся if it is not a reflexive action I am doing to myself?

Accepted Answer

While the -ся ending often shows that an action is reflexive (done to oneself), it is also used to make verbs impersonal or passive. Here, кажется is related to the verb казать (to show). Adding -ся shifts the meaning to 'to show itself' or 'to seem'. In the phrase Мне кажется, the verb is frozen in this neutral, third-person singular 'it' form.

Мне кажется, это хорошая идея.

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