Breakdown of Ты имеешь право знать правду.
ты
you (singular)
знать
to know
правда
truth
иметь право
to have the right (to)
Questions & Answers about Ты имеешь право знать правду.
Why do we use a form of иметь here instead of the usual у тебя есть for 'you have'?
While physical possession is usually expressed with у тебя есть (you have), the verb иметь is used for abstract concepts, legal terms, and fixed phrases. To have the right is always иметь право.
What case is право in this sentence?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb имеешь. Because право is a neuter noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its dictionary form.
Why does the word for truth end in -у (правду)?
It is the direct object of the verb знать (to know), so it must be in the accusative case. The dictionary form is the feminine noun правда. In the accusative case, feminine nouns ending in -а change their ending to -у.
Why use the imperfective verb знать instead of the perfective узнать?
Знать means the ongoing state of knowing, which fits having the right to know. If you used the perfective verb узнать, it would mean the right to find out or the right to discover the truth.
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