Thread: Grammar question

Hello, I've just started learning Russian lately and have been using that Rosetta Stone thing (a guy i know had a copy so he let me use his) and i got the Russian language software for it. But I've come across a phrase i guess you could call it that is confusing me. Its will be something like
у него вода. он пъёт.
How would that be in English? The main part that confuses me is у and just how it is put together (still thinking English grammar i guess). So if someone could explain to me how that sentence is structured that would really help. Thanks

у него вода. он пьёт.
How would that be in English?

He has water. He is drinking.

So if someone could explain to me how that sentence is structured that would really help.

Well, I'm not so keen on grammar waffle, but I think the sentence у него вода is an elliptical form of у него ЕСТЬ вода, where есть is left out.

у него вода.

This is a common way to express possession in Russian. It is something like "water (is) of him" where "is" is skipped.

Looks like you need a regular textbook in addition.

In English it's rather "with him" in the sense of possession. "Of him" sounds like origin.

Originally Posted by apocalypsefu

The main part that confuses me is у and just how it is put together

strictly speaking you can think of у as meaning "by" as in near, so the sentence can be read literally as "by him is water" or simply "he has water."