Igrat v tennis, zanimatsya begom, bolet za komandu
The three verbs take three different forms. Igrat wants v plus the whom-what form: igrat v tennis, v futbol, v shakhmaty. Na is for the instruments: igrat na skripke, na pianino. For example: “Занимаюсь бегом, а брат увлекается шахматами” — I run for exercise and my brother is into chess. A rule from the Russian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The three verbs take three different forms. Igrat wants v plus the whom-what form: igrat v tennis, v futbol, v shakhmaty. Na is for the instruments: igrat na skripke, na pianino.
Zanimatsya and uvlekatsya take the by/with form: zanimatsya begom, uvlekatsya yogoy. This is the broadest way to say what a person lives by.
Who you root for goes through za: bolet za komandu, za syna. And you take part v: uchastvovat v marafone, v sorevnovanii. The form carries the meaning here: swap the preposition and you swap the business.
Table
| Verb | The form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| igrat | v plus the whom-what form | igrat v basketbol |
| igrat | na plus the about-form | igrat na gitare |
| zanimatsya | the by/with form | zanimatsya begom |
| uvlekatsya | the by/with form | uvlekatsya shakhmatami |
| bolet | za plus the whom-what form | bolet za komandu |
| uchastvovat | v plus the about-form | uchastvovat v marafone |
By example
- Занимаюсь бегом, а брат увлекается шахматамиZanimayus begom, a brat uvlekaetsya shakhmatamiI run for exercise and my brother is into chess
- Всю команду болельщики поддерживали стояVsyu komandu bolelshchiki podderzhivali stoyaThe whole team was cheered on standing up
- Она играет на скрипке и участвует в оркестреOna igraet na skripke i uchastvuet v orkestreShe plays the violin and plays in an orchestra
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
The form after zanimatsya?
Zanimatsya and uvlekatsya take the by/with form: zanimatsya begom, uvlekatsya yogoy. This is the broadest way to say what a person lives by.
Igrat v tennis: which preposition?
The three verbs take three different forms. Igrat wants v plus the whom-what form: igrat v tennis, v futbol, v shakhmaty. Na is for the instruments: igrat na skripke, na pianino.
How to say I root for a team?
Zanimatsya and uvlekatsya take the by/with form: zanimatsya begom, uvlekatsya yogoy. This is the broadest way to say what a person lives by.
The form after uchastvovat?
Who you root for goes through za: bolet za komandu, za syna. And you take part v: uchastvovat v marafone, v sorevnovanii. The form carries the meaning here: swap the preposition and you swap the business.
What does it look like in a Russian example sentence?
“Занимаюсь бегом, а брат увлекается шахматами” (Zanimayus begom, a brat uvlekaetsya shakhmatami) — I run for exercise and my brother is into chess. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.