Breakdown of Зимой мы катаемся на коньках.
мы
we
зимой
in winter
кататься
to ride, to skate (for pleasure)
коньки
skates
Questions & Answers about Зимой мы катаемся на коньках.
Why does the word for winter end in -ой here?
Зимой is the instrumental case of зима (winter). In Russian, seasons and parts of the day take the instrumental case to answer the question When?, just like утром means in the morning.
Why is the verb катаемся reflexive (ending in -ся)?
The non-reflexive verb катать means to roll an object or to give a ride to someone else. Adding the reflexive ending -ся makes the action about yourself, which is used for moving or riding for your own pleasure.
Why do we say на коньках instead of just using a verb for skating?
In Russian, there is no single verb for ice skating. Instead, you say that you ride on skates. The verb кататься pairs with the preposition на plus the prepositional case to talk about riding a mode of transport or using sports equipment.
What is the base form of коньках?
The base form is коньки (ice skates). Because we are using the preposition на to say we are riding on them, the word changes to the prepositional plural form коньках.
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