Questions & Answers about Дверь дома старая.
Why is there no word for "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" is almost always left out. So, Дверь дома старая literally translates to "Door of house old," but it means "The door of the house is old."
Why is the word for house дома instead of the dictionary form дом?
Дома is in the genitive case, which is often used to show possession or to replace the English word "of". Adding the -а to the end of дом changes the meaning to "of the house".
How do we know that дверь (door) is a feminine noun?
Could I say Старая дверь дома instead?
Yes, but it changes the meaning. Старая дверь дома translates to "The old door of the house" as a simple descriptive phrase. By putting the adjective at the end of the phrase (Дверь дома старая), it acts as the main point of the sentence, creating the meaning "The door of the house is old."
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