Breakdown of У нас есть основной план и второй.
и
and
мы
we
есть
is, there is, to have
план
plan
второй
second
основной
main, basic
Questions & Answers about У нас есть основной план и второй.
Why isn't there a word for "one" after второй like in the English translation?
In Russian, you don't need a placeholder word like "one" when referring back to a noun. The ordinal number второй (second) simply stands alone, and the listener knows it refers to план (plan) because it is in the masculine form to match it.
Why are основной план and второй in the nominative case here? Don't we use the accusative for things we have?
No, the У нас есть structure literally means "By us is...". The thing you possess is actually the grammatical subject of the sentence, so it must be in the nominative case. This is an early rule that is easy to forget when sentences start getting longer!
Could I change the word order and say У нас есть основной и второй план?
Yes, that is grammatically correct. However, the word order in this sentence (основной план и второй) is a very natural conversational pattern. It makes it sound like the speaker mentions the main plan first, and then adds the fact that there is a backup plan as a slight afterthought.
How can I easily remember the word основной (main)?
It is very helpful to learn its root noun: основа, which means "base" or "foundation." When you know this root, it makes sense that an основной план is literally your foundational or base plan.
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