Breakdown of Мы видимся от случая к случаю.
мы
we
видеться
to see each other (regularly)
от случая к случаю
from time to time, occasionally
Questions & Answers about Мы видимся от случая к случаю.
Since the current lesson focuses on the Instrumental case for repeated actions, why isn't an Instrumental time noun used here?
The bare Instrumental plural (like вечерами for in the evenings) is used for regular habits or continuous durations. The phrase от случая к случаю specifically means occasionally or irregularly. Because it emphasizes unpredictability rather than a steady routine, Russian uses this fixed prepositional idiom instead of an Instrumental time noun.
Why does видимся have the reflexive -ся ending?
In this sentence, the -ся ending makes the verb reciprocal, meaning each other. Using the standard verb мы видим would mean we see (referring to looking at an object, like a movie), while мы видимся translates to we see each other or we meet.
What exactly does the word случай mean in this idiom?
The noun случай generally means a case, occurrence, or incident. The fixed phrase от случая к случаю literally translates to from case to case, which is the natural Russian way to express doing something from time to time or on a casual basis.
Why do we use the prepositions от and к together here?
The prepositions от (from) and к (to/towards) are frequently paired to show progression from one point or event to the next. As a quick refresher, от always requires the Genitive case (giving us случая), and к always requires the Dative case (giving us случаю).
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