In Russian language verbs determine an ending of a noun. You can easily choose a noun’s case, when you are asked a question such as “Где..?” you should choose the ending – Е (case 6) without hesitation. But you will not always be answering only. You will speak-)!
Remember, after what verbs should be used a noun in case 6.
So you want to construct a phrase with one of these verbs. How will it look like? First you define what Tense does an event refer to (Past, Present, Future). For example, you want to say where you had breakfast this morning. The action took place in the past, then you use the verb “завтракать” in the Past Tense. If you are a man, add the suffix – Л: Я завтракал. If you are a woman, add —ЛА: Я завтракала. Then change noun’s ending according to case 6 and use the preposition В or НА. For example, let’s take the noun “гостиница”. Change the ending, add preposition В and it turns out В ГОСТИНИЦЕ. So, we’ve constructed the phrase “Я завтракал сегодня в гостинице”. Another example. If you are having breakfast, and someone phones you at this time and asks what you are doing now, you should answer: “Я завтракаю в гостинице”. In this sentence The Present Tense is used.
Let’s take the verb “отдыхать” for example. After this verb should be used a noun in case 6, noun’s ending changes to —Е. Я + отдыхал (the Past Tense) + a noun in case 6. The phrase Я отдыхал Европа is not correct.
If you have a rest in Europe every year, you should say “Каждый год я отдыхаю в Европе”. (“I have a rest in Europe every year”. )
Or: Я + учился + в Америке, а сейчас учусь (the Present Tense) + в Москве.
Or: Я обычно завтракаю + в кафе, обедаю + в ресторане, а ужинаю + дома. (All verbs are used in the Present Tense). The word “дома” doesn’t change as it is an exception.
Sure, you can use these verbs without nouns, for example: Сегодня я отдыхаю. Я сейчас обедаю. Я не работал вчера.
The Use of the Verb БЫТЬ
One of my students from Japan said that the Japanese never asked the question “Ты где?” This question seems to them indecent, almost the interference in private life. It does not apply to the Russians. The Russians, when talking on the phone, after greeting ask a question “Ты где?” probably in a half of cases. That’s why we study this model one of the first. The advantage is that it is easy to remember noun’s endings. The nouns of feminine an masculine genders change their endings to —Е.
The question “Вы где?” (“Where are you?”) refers to the action taking place in the present. When answering this question, the verb “быть” is missing. For example: – Ты где? – Я на работе. In the Past Tense the suffix —Л is added to the verb. Я был на работе. (masc.gen.). Я была на работе. (fem.gen.). Мы были на работе. (pl.). In the Future Tense the verb changes in relation to a pronoun. For example: Я буду на работе. Ты будешь на работе. Она будет в университете? You can see all variants in table 4. When in a question the verb “быть” is in the Past Tense, you should use the Past Tense in a reply. When in a question the verb “быть” is in the Future Tense, you should use the Future Tense in a reply. For example: – Где ты был? (Where were you?) – Я был дома. (I was at home.) Or: – Где ты будешь завтра утром? (Where will you be tomorrow morning?) – Я буду завтра утром в университете. (I’ll be at the university tomorrow morning.) After the verb “быть” should be used a noun in case 6.
Exercise 13.
Give a negative answer to the questions.
Sample: Вы были в Москве? (Have you been in Moscow?) – Нет, я не был в Москве. (No, I’ve never been in Moscow.)
Вы в Москве сейчас? (Are you in Moscow now?) – Нет, я не в Москве сейчас. (No, I am not in Moscow now.)
1.Вы в Чикаго?
2.Она в Петербурге?
3.Он был в Канаде?
4.Вы были в Пекине?
5.Она дома?
6.Вы были в Токио?
7.Вы были в Москве?
8.Вы будете в университете завтра в 12 часов?
9.Ты здесь?
Exercise 14.
Answer the questions:
1.Где вы сейчас?
2.Где вы будете сегодня через 3 часа?
3.Где вы были вчера вечером?
4.Где вы были вчера утром?
5.Где вы будете завтра утром?
6.Где вы будете сегодня вечером?
7.Вы были в Москве?
8.Вы были в Санкт-Петербурге?
9.Где вы были в воскресенье?
10.Вы были вчера в ресторане?
11.Где вы будете через год?
12.Где вы будете через 10 лет?
А) In what sentences the verb “быть” is used in the Future Tense?
Б) In what sentences the verb “быть” is used in the Past Tense?
В) In what sentences the verb “быть” is used in the Present Tense?
Model – На каком этаже..? =On what floor..? (case 6)
When answering the question: “На каком этаже..?”, your answer implies the use of a preposition НА and the ending —ОМ at numeral. The ending of the noun “этаж” is changed to —Е. When you want to know on what floor someone or something exactly is situated, you should ask: Извините, не подскажете, на каком этаже находится