Breakdown of У ребёнка ангина, болит горло.
ребёнок
child
горло
throat
болеть
to hurt, to ache; to be ill
ангина
tonsillitis, throat infection
Questions & Answers about У ребёнка ангина, болит горло.
In болит горло, what is the grammatical subject of the sentence?
The body part itself is the subject! горло (throat) is in the Nominative case, and the verb болит (hurts) is in the third-person singular to match it. In Russian, you don't say 'I hurt my throat', you say 'To me, the throat hurts'.
Why isn't there an у него (at him) in the second half of the sentence?
Why doesn't the first part say У ребёнка есть ангина?
When naming a specific illness or condition, Russians usually drop the word есть (is/has). Saying У ребёнка ангина is the standard, natural way to state a diagnosis. Using есть here would sound slightly unnatural, as if you are emphasizing the mere existence of the illness rather than just stating his state of health.
Is ангина the same as the English medical term 'angina' (a heart condition)?
No, this is a very common 'false friend' for English speakers. In Russian, ангина refers to tonsillitis, strep throat, or a severe throat infection. The English heart condition 'angina' is called стенокардия in Russian.
Could I change the word order to горло болит?
Yes, горло болит is perfectly fine and means the exact same thing. However, putting the verb first (болит горло) is extremely common in Russian medical complaints. It shifts the focus slightly onto the fact that there is pain, which is the most important new information.
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