Breakdown of Говорят, что анонимный источник сообщает подробности.
говорить
to speak, to talk
что
that (conjunction)
источник
source
подробность
detail (piece of information)
сообщать
to report
анонимный
anonymous
Questions & Answers about Говорят, что анонимный источник сообщает подробности.
Why is the pronoun они omitted before говорят?
This is an indefinite-personal clause. By dropping они, the sentence focuses on the action rather than the specific people doing it. It acts like the English phrases 'they say', 'people say', or 'it is said'.
If I added Они at the beginning, would it mean the same thing?
No, it would change the meaning entirely. Они говорят refers to a specific, previously mentioned group of people. Without the pronoun, говорят implies an unknown or general source, which is the standard Russian way to express rumors or general opinions.
Why is there a comma before что?
In Russian, a comma is strictly required to separate clauses. You must always place a comma before subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like что, где, or когда, even if you wouldn't naturally pause there in English.
What case is подробности (details) and how is it formed?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object being reported. The dictionary form is подробность, which is a feminine noun ending in a soft sign (3rd declension). For inanimate nouns in this group, the accusative plural is identical to the nominative plural, ending in -и.
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