11
votes
Accepted
How is "огурец" used here?
1 This is one of adjectival constructions in Russian to denote likeness in terms of measures.
размером с горошину as small as a pea
ростом с мизинец as short as a pinkie
весом с пудовую гирю ...
- 19.6k
6
votes
Почему глагол "управлять" непереходный?
The verb управлять is oblique transitive (косвенно-переходный).
That means that it can take a direct object, but the object is put in a case other than the accusative.
The direct object of this verb ...
- 47.7k
6
votes
Preposition "под" (under, implying movement). Why instrumental and not accusative?
Is there a possibility that accusative denotes movement until the place and staying there and instumental passing through under the
place and walking away afterwards?
No.
Instrumental is used not ...
- 19.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Use of instrumental case in a sentence
This seems to be an example of the so called Temporal case which in Russian either coincides with Instrumental or is expressed through Instrumental.
In Russian nouns denoting most generic periods of ...
- 19.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Relative locations with compass points
For "x kilometers to the north of Y" all three options are fine (note that I've corrected them a bit):
Углич находится в двухстах километрах к северу от Москвы
Углич находится двумястами ...
- 2,749
5
votes
Почему глагол "управлять" непереходный?
Почему глагол "управлять" непереходный?
С точки зрения формальной классификации глаголов -- потому что он не требует дополнения в винительном падеже без предлога. А вот почему он требует ...
- 896
4
votes
Accepted
Почему глагол "управлять" непереходный?
Ваши рассуждения не лишены смысла. По-видимому, в 18-м веке оба варианта были допустимы.
Винительный:
Московскую губернию управлять и доносить Сенату Василью Ершову.
Петр I. Указ об учреждении ...
- 856
4
votes
Accepted
(A changing?) difference between nominative and instrumental case usage in predicates with быть
If you can read Russian, I would recommend the article Некоторые особенности согласования в русском языке by Dmitri Shmelyov.
Unfortunately, I only have it in print, but the compilation of author's ...
- 47.7k
3
votes
Use of instrumental with был/быть, e.g. "Ты был забавным."
What can be added to the answers in the past topics referenced by Sergey Slepov in the comments, is that at least in your example, usage of adjective in nominal or instrumental affects semantics of ...
- 19.6k
3
votes
Accepted
Use of instrumental with был/быть, e.g. "Ты был забавным."
The noun and adjective functioning as the nominal part of a compound predicate can be in the nominative or in the instrumental case.
Typically, the nominative here [where the linking verb быть is ...
- 11.8k
2
votes
How is "огурец" used here?
"Небольшой" is perceived as slightly bigger than "маленький", but not yet so big as "big". Think "medium or just a tad bigger".
And "коротышка", being the quasi-race name, would be better translated ...
- 1,655
2
votes
Use of instrumental case in a sentence
I would translate it:
Russian culture was created over the centuries
If you translate it literally, it would be:
Russian culture was created by centuries
so "centuries" (века) is in ...
- 1,540
2
votes
Accepted
Instrumental of manner in Russian?
Yes it can, this function of Instrumental is characteristic of both languages.
In Russian
говорить нежным голосом
- 19.6k
1
vote
Этот день был долгим, но погода была хорошая!
It was a long day I would translate as это был долгий день. Этот день был долгим is also grammatically correct but it would be a translation of English that day was long.
As for your hypothesis:
...
- 2,148
1
vote
Relative locations with compass points
Углич находится на двухстах километрах к северу от Москвы -
"Углич находится в двухстах километрах к северу от Москвы" This would probably be the most common colloquial use case. There may be an ...
- 4,244
1
vote
Relative locations with compass points
1) To "X kilometers to the north/west/east/south of Y"..
1a) ..the (arguably) most used equivalent would be "в X [in prepositive] километрах к северу/западу/востоку/югу от Y [in genitive]", or the ...
- 1,655
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible