Thread: Why?

The following sentence:

Дайте мне, пожалуйста, два билета.

Why is it билета and not билетов? (masculine, acc., plural?)

Thanks

The numbers 2, 3 and 4 take the genetive singular.

Ah ok, that's where to use the genitive.

Thanks!

That's one place to use the genitive Singular, with numbers 2,3,4.

Rodja, I am really curious. The sentence Дайте мне, пожалуйста, два билета. sounds like it comes from a textbook. If that's correct, then doesn't the textbook explain the use of the gen.sg. after the number two? If not, I'd say it's a text to avoid.

That's right, it's a sentence from the book Русский Язык в упражнениях.

It's a book that deals with every case in a different chapter, so far I have learned the nom, prep, dat and gen. So,.. four down two to go.

But your right it doesn't explain much about the grammer. The book just supplies a lot of excersizes. Maybe I should try another book,... (Or just pose my stupid questions on this forum when I don't get it.)

The fact that you've done dative and prepositional, and not accustive scares me too.

Originally Posted by chaika

The sentence Дайте мне, пожалуйста, два билета. sounds like it comes from a textbook.

Sounds perfectly Russian to me.
Although quite polite, which is not Russian way of speaking (just kidding).

Originally Posted by Pioner

Originally Posted by chaika

The sentence Дайте мне, пожалуйста, два билета. sounds like it comes from a textbook.

Sounds perfectly Russian to me.
Although quite polite, which is not Russian way of speaking (just kidding).

-- Two tickets to Dublin.
-- Куда, блин?

Originally Posted by chaika

The sentence Дайте мне, пожалуйста, два билета. sounds like it comes from a textbook.

It sounds ok, though I prefer to say "Дайте, пожалуйста, два билета".

personally i like to slam a fist on the desk and shout ДВА БИЛЕТА!!

I prefer to go up to perfect strangers and start yelling at them "Я ХОЧУ БЫТЬ ТВОЙ ДРУГ!!!"

Originally Posted by Darobat

I prefer to go up to perfect strangers and start yelling at them "Я ХОЧУ БЫТЬ ТВОЙ ДРУГ!!!"

Oh, that's incorrect, yell "Я ХОЧУ БЫТЬ ТВОИМ ДРУГОМ!!!" next time

Right... I keep forgetting this stuff about instrumental after the word быть. Am I to use the instrumental case after the infinitive of быть always?

Originally Posted by Darobat

Am I to use the instrumental case after the infinitive of быть always?

Yes. (at least I can't recall any exceptions for now)

Alright. Does it still apply if the verb is conjugated?
Завтра, я буду рыбой.

Originally Posted by Darobat

Alright. Does it still apply if the verb is conjugated?
Завтра, я буду рыбой.

that's correct.

Hmmm... Does that mean that the word maybe, or может быть requires the instrumental case

Может будет кошкой некрасивым

Originally Posted by Darobat

Hmmm... Does that mean that the word maybe, or может быть requires the instrumental case

Может будет кошкой некрасивым

"может быть" doesn't decline, your sentence could be changed as following: "Может быть она будет некрасивой кошкой". It's instumental but it's because of the будет verb and not because of может быть. Another variant: она может быть некрасивой кошкой - here it's instrumental because of быть.

Unfortunately, instrumental always after быть not. (Saw the latest Star Wars recently I did.) I remember reading something like... в то время он был начальник теха.... This might not be exactly the correct context, but I remember I was impressed by the fact that it was NOT instrumental. (I can probly look it up in my reader if Friendy insists! But I'm sure she can come up with the right context =;^) )

Originally Posted by chaika

Unfortunately, instrumental always after быть not. (Saw the latest Star Wars recently I did.) I remember reading something like... в то время он был начальник теха.... This might not be exactly the correct context, but I remember I was impressed by the fact that it was NOT instrumental. (I can probly look it up in my reader if Friendy insists! But I'm sure she can come up with the right context =;^) )

Yes, that's true, nominative also is used (though only in the past tense as far as I know). Using instrumental would be also correct here and maybe even more preferable. I think there was a thread here, where we discussed the subtle and usually insignificant difference in sense depending on the used case. So if you doubt what case to use, use instrumental and you won't be mistaken.