Breakdown of Палеонтологи пишут, что этот динозавр был высотой в пять метров.
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
писать
to write
пять
five
быть
to be
Questions & Answers about Палеонтологи пишут, что этот динозавр был высотой в пять метров.
Why do we use the preposition в before пять метров?
In Russian, to state an exact measurement, you use the preposition в followed by the accusative case. It acts as a bridge between the physical dimension and the actual number. While English just says 'five meters tall', Russian structures it as 'by height in five meters'.
Why is the word for height (высота) in the instrumental case (высотой)?
The instrumental case is used here to define a specific characteristic or parameter of an object. The standard formula for measurements is the dimension noun in the instrumental case followed by в and the amount. Here, высотой essentially translates to 'in height' or 'by height'.
Since в triggers the accusative case, why is метров in the genitive plural?
The preposition в affects the whole number phrase, putting the numeral пять into the accusative case (which looks identical to its nominative form). However, the internal rules of numbers still apply: numbers five and above always force the noun that follows them into the genitive plural. So, пять is accusative, but метров is genitive plural.
Why is present tense (пишут) mixed with past tense (был)?
Russian uses tense very logically here. The paleontologists' articles and books exist right now, so they 'write' (present tense) as a general, ongoing scientific fact. Meanwhile, the dinosaur existed millions of years ago, so it 'was' (past tense) five meters tall.