After khochu and lyublyu the word bends: voda → vodu
The thing you want or love stands in a special form — the one that answers whom? or what?: khochu vodu, lyublyu kofe, ishchu kvartiru. Words for women ending in -a swap the ending: voda → vodu, kvartira → kvartiru. Words for objects — chay, kofe, metro — do not move at all. For example: “Я хочу воду, пожалуйста” — I want water, please. A rule from the Russian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a…
How it works
The thing you want or love stands in a special form — the one that answers whom? or what?: khochu vodu, lyublyu kofe, ishchu kvartiru. Words for women ending in -a swap the ending: voda → vodu, kvartira → kvartiru. Words for objects — chay, kofe, metro — do not move at all.
The form surprises the eye: the dictionary gives voda, the phrase says vodu. There is no ending worth memorizing word by word; the table below collects the ones this course asks of you.
Table
| Who | Dictionary form | After khochu |
|---|---|---|
| she | voda | khochu vodu |
| she | kvartira | ishchu kvartiru |
| she | apteka | idu v apteku |
| he | chay | khochu chay — no change |
By example
- Я хочу воду, пожалуйстаYa khochu vodu, pozhaluystaI want water, please
- Я ищу квартиру рядом с центромYa ishchu kvartiru ryadom s tsentromI am looking for an apartment near the center
- Я люблю кофе, а ты?Ya lyublyu kofe, a ty?I love coffee, and you?
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Why khochu vodu not khochu voda?
The thing you want or love stands in a special form — the one that answers whom? or what?: khochu vodu, lyublyu kofe, ishchu kvartiru. Words for women ending in -a swap the ending: voda → vodu, kvartira → kvartiru. Words for objects — chay, kofe, metro — do not move at all.
Voda to vodu: the object form?
The thing you want or love stands in a special form — the one that answers whom? or what?: khochu vodu, lyublyu kofe, ishchu kvartiru. Words for women ending in -a swap the ending: voda → vodu, kvartira → kvartiru. Words for objects — chay, kofe, metro — do not move at all.
What form follows lyublyu in Russian?
The thing you want or love stands in a special form — the one that answers whom? or what?: khochu vodu, lyublyu kofe, ishchu kvartiru. Words for women ending in -a swap the ending: voda → vodu, kvartira → kvartiru. Words for objects — chay, kofe, metro — do not move at all.
Khochu kofe: why no ending?
The thing you want or love stands in a special form — the one that answers whom? or what?: khochu vodu, lyublyu kofe, ishchu kvartiru. Words for women ending in -a swap the ending: voda → vodu, kvartira → kvartiru. Words for objects — chay, kofe, metro — do not move at all.
What does it look like in a Russian example sentence?
“Я хочу воду, пожалуйста” (Ya khochu vodu, pozhaluysta) — I want water, please. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.