Breakdown of Мы отдали награду сценаристу Стивену Спилбергу.
мы
we
отдать
to give back (perfective) / to hand over, present
награда
the reward
сценарист
screenwriter
Стивен
Stephen
Спилберг
Spielberg
Questions & Answers about Мы отдали награду сценаристу Стивену Спилбергу.
Why do both parts of the name Steven Spielberg get the -у ending?
Foreign male names and surnames that end in a consonant decline just like standard Russian masculine nouns. Because he is the indirect object receiving the award, both his first name and surname take the Dative case ending -у, becoming Стивену Спилбергу.
If the award went to a woman named Helen Spielberg, would her name also decline?
No. While foreign male surnames ending in a consonant decline, foreign female surnames ending in a consonant are strictly indeclinable in Russian. The first name Helen also ends in a consonant, so it wouldn't decline either. The phrase would be сценаристу Хелен Спилберг.
Could I just say Мы дали instead of Мы отдали?
You could, but отдали is much more natural here. While дали simply means 'gave', the prefix от- adds a sense of handing over or giving something that someone has earned or is rightfully owed, which perfectly fits presenting an award.
Does the profession сценаристу have to match the case of the name?
Yes. When a title or profession is placed right before a name, it acts as an apposition (a descriptive phrase) and must decline to match the name. Since the name is in the Dative case, the profession must also take the Dative case: сценаристу.
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