Breakdown of Это самый гладкий асфальт в городе, здесь приятно кататься на самокате.
это
this / it is
здесь
here
город
city
в
in / to (direction)
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
приятно
pleasant, nice
самый
most
кататься
to ride, to skate (for pleasure)
самокат
scooter
гладкий
smooth
асфальт
asphalt
Questions & Answers about Это самый гладкий асфальт в городе, здесь приятно кататься на самокате.
Why do we use кататься here instead of the unidirectional катиться?
кататься is the multidirectional verb. In this sentence, riding a scooter is a general, continuous activity done for pleasure around the area (здесь), not a single trip from point A to point B. If you were coasting down a specific hill right now, you would use катиться.
The lesson is about the transitive verbs катить and катать. Why does this verb have a -ся ending?
катить and катать mean to roll or drive something else (like pushing a wheelbarrow or giving someone a ride). To talk about riding a vehicle yourself for fun or transport (like a scooter, bike, or sled), you add the reflexive suffix -ся.
Why is it translated as на самокате (Prepositional case) rather than using the Instrumental case for the means of transport?
In Russian, to express the mode of transport you are riding or taking, you almost always use на + Prepositional case (like на автобусе or на поезде). This is especially true for things you ride on top of, like a bicycle, a horse, or a scooter (самокат).
Is it possible to use a single-word superlative suffix instead of самый гладкий?
Technically yes, but in everyday spoken Russian, forming the superlative with самый + the standard adjective is by far the most natural way to say it. Single-word superlatives (like гладчайший) usually sound very formal, poetic, or bookish.
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