Breakdown of У пастуха есть скот и овцы.
и
and
у
at, by
есть
is, there is, to have
пастух
shepherd
скот
livestock
овца
sheep
Questions & Answers about У пастуха есть скот и овцы.
Why is есть used instead of a plural verb, since the shepherd has multiple animals?
In modern Russian, the word есть in possession constructions like У пастуха есть... is invariable. It is used for both singular and plural owned objects, so it doesn't need to change to match the plural noun овцы.
How do these nouns relate to the verbs гнать and гонять from this lesson?
The verbs гнать (unidirectional) and гонять (multidirectional) translate to "to drive" or "to herd." You will frequently see скот (livestock) and овцы (sheep) as the direct objects of these verbs, such as in the phrase пастух гонит скот (the shepherd is driving the livestock).
Is скот a countable noun? Could I say "два скота" for two cows?
No, скот is a collective noun meaning "livestock" or "cattle." Just like its English equivalents, it is grammatically singular and uncountable. To count individual animals, you would use specific words like корова (cow) or the phrase головы скота (heads of cattle).
What is the root of the word пастух and how does it differ from гонять?
Пастух (shepherd) comes from the verb пасти (to graze or pasture). While a shepherd uses гнать or гонять to physically drive or herd animals from one place to another, they use пасти to watch over the flock while it stays in a field and eats.
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