Breakdown of Оба чемодана слишком тяжёлые для провоза.
чемодан
suitcase
для
for
тяжёлый
heavy
слишком
too, excessively
оба
both (m/n)
провоз
the transport
Questions & Answers about Оба чемодана слишком тяжёлые для провоза.
Why is the adjective тяжёлые in the nominative plural here, rather than the genitive plural?
You might remember that adjectives directly attached to a noun after два, три, четыре, or оба usually take the genitive plural (like in оба тяжёлых чемодана). However, in this sentence, тяжёлые is the predicate (Both suitcases are too heavy), not an attributive adjective modifying the noun within the subject phrase. Predicate adjectives describing a numeral-based subject take the nominative plural.
What case is чемодана in, and why?
It is in the genitive singular. The word оба (both) behaves exactly like the number two (два). For masculine and neuter nouns, оба requires the following noun to be in the genitive singular when the phrase is the subject of the sentence.
How does провоз differ from the word транспорт?
Транспорт generally refers to vehicles or the broader transportation system (like public transit). Провоз specifically refers to the action of carrying or conveying baggage, goods, or passengers on a vehicle. It is the standard word used by airlines and trains when talking about luggage allowances.
If we changed the noun to a feminine word like сумка (bag), how would the beginning of the sentence change?
It would change to Обе сумки. The word for 'both' has a distinct feminine form (обе) which pairs with the genitive singular of feminine nouns. Оба is strictly reserved for masculine and neuter nouns.
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