Question 1

Why is неудачи in the Genitive case here instead of the Accusative?

Accepted Answer

The verb опасаться (to fear, to dread) requires its object to be in the Genitive case, not the Accusative. In Russian, verbs dealing with fear, avoidance, and deprivation generally govern the Genitive because the subject is conceptually distancing themselves from the object.

Question 2

I already know бояться (to be afraid). How is опасаться different?

Accepted Answer

Бояться is the most common, everyday word for being scared. Опасаться is slightly more formal and translates closer to "to dread," "to be apprehensive," or "to beware of." It implies a cautious fear of a specific negative outcome or risk (like failure), rather than a raw physical fear. Both verbs take the Genitive case.

Question 3

Could I use the Genitive of comparison and say больше меня instead of больше, чем я?

Accepted Answer

You could, but больше, чем я is much better here to avoid ambiguity. Because verbs of fear take the Genitive case, Он опасается неудачи больше меня could technically be misinterpreted as "He fears failure more than [he fears] me." Using the conjunction чем with the Nominative я makes it perfectly clear that "I" am the second subject.

Question 4

Since опасается ends in -ся, does that mean it's a reflexive action?

Accepted Answer

No, he isn't doing the action to himself. Just like бояться (to be afraid) and надеяться (to hope), опасаться is a verb that simply doesn't exist without the -ся ending. The particle is a permanent part of the word, not a reflection of the action back onto the subject.

Он опасается неудачи больше, чем я.

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