Breakdown of Он послал семье свои соболезнования.
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
семья
family
послать
to send
мои соболезнования
my condolences
Questions & Answers about Он послал семье свои соболезнования.
Why is свои used here instead of его for "his"?
When the subject of the sentence (он) is the owner of the object being discussed, Russian requires the reflexive possessive pronoun свой (here in the plural accusative form свои). If you used его, it would mean he sent someone else's condolences!
Could I use отправил instead of послал in this sentence?
Yes, отправил and послал both mean "sent" and are largely interchangeable. However, послать often feels a bit more traditional or personal, making it a great fit for abstract things like greetings, love, or condolences. Отправить can sound slightly more logistical, like dispatching a physical package or an official document.
The word соболезнования is quite long. Is there an easy way to break it down?
Yes, by looking at its roots! The prefix со- means "with" or "together", and the root relates to боль (pain) or болезнь (sickness/suffering). Literally, it translates to "feeling pain with" someone. This beautifully matches the English word "condolence," which comes from the Latin for "suffering with."
Why is семья changed to семье here?
It is in the dative case. The dative case is used for the indirect object, which is the recipient or beneficiary of an action. Since he is sending condolences to the family, семья becomes семье.
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