Breakdown of Держитесь за мою руку, пожалуйста.
мой
my / mine
пожалуйста
please
рука
hand
держаться
to hold on; to keep
Questions & Answers about Держитесь за мою руку, пожалуйста.
Why use the reflexive verb держитесь instead of держите?
The non-reflexive держать means to physically hold an object, like a book or a bag. Adding the reflexive ending (here, -сь) makes it держаться, which means to hold onto something to support, steady, or balance yourself.
Why is the preposition за used here?
In Russian, you can't just attach a direct object to the reflexive verb держаться. To say what you are holding onto, you must use the preposition за followed by the accusative case.
Why is it мою руку instead of моя рука?
Because the preposition за requires the accusative case when it means grabbing or holding onto something. The feminine phrase моя рука (my hand) changes to its accusative form, мою руку.
How does this grammar compare to verbs of position like садиться (to sit down)?
Just like the verbs of position in this lesson, держаться is an intransitive reflexive verb focused on your own body's posture or stability. And just as you use в or на plus the accusative case to show where you are moving to sit or stand, you use за plus the accusative case to show what you are grabbing onto.
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