Првиет друзья (I think thats correct) :)

Hi everyone. Been hardcore at the Rosetta Stone now for 3-4 months but still a beginner at best. Heading to Russia in 5-6 days for a month so it can only get better :D

As a quick query; I'm currently just getting my head round the case system, trying to write my own sentances.

To say "I gave my girl flowers" is it "Я дали цветы моей девочке"? (I'm basing that on Dali for past tense plural (flowers - tsvety) and then 'my girl' being in the dative taking the 'a' changing it to 'e' and using the feminin dative Moj (moej).

This is all guess work, someone please correct me if I'm well off.

Спасибо ))))

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Originally Posted by ShakeyX

To say "I gave my girl flowers" is it "Я дал цветы моей девочке"?

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The past tense would be "дал," because the verb is matching in gender and number according to the subject that performed the action. "цветы", in this example, is in the accusative case since it is the direct object. And you are correct about "моей девочке" being in the dative case.

Я дал цветы моей девочке

Thanks so much for your help, abit confused about why DAL and not DALI? So verbs actually react to the subject and not the object? so it'd be more like if many people gave flowers it would be "Мы дали цветы на́шей девочке"?

Thanks again. And looking forward to speaking with you all.

Also, as a side note, if you plan to use that phrase in a real conversation, I would suggest to rephrase it a bit:

Я дал цветы моей девочке
=> Я подарил цветы своей девушке

So quick question. Its changed from 'Dal' to 'podaril' to put it in the perfective? I've always struggled with perfective and imperfective. So because it's a one off action, that probably happened in a particluar moment in time, you use perfective?

Also with words like svoj tvoj moj. No matter what the NEW ending of the noun it refers it is (i.e devushk/E/) does it still form in the normal way... as in to a feminine dative in this case.

I think thats about as much as I can muster for my intro :P again thankyou so much for your help.

Я дал ... Я подарил both are perfective. The second means 'give as a gift', more specific meaning than the first, дал . The first is more general, not have as specific meaning as 'give as gift'.

Дал and Подарил are both perfective. Yes, it is perfective because it was one-time completed action.

It is changed to avoid ambiguity: "дал" can mean temporarily or like.

"своей девушке" - "девушке" is in dative (as it is denoted with the ending) and it is feminine word. Attributive "своей" should agree with it: feminine dative.

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Originally Posted by ShakeyX

So quick question. Its changed from 'Dal' to 'podaril' to put it in the perfective?

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It's more about the usage. When you say in Russian "I gave flowers" it sounds unspecific, because, ultimately, you made your girl a present with those flowers. So she's the end user. But when you just "gave", perhaps your intention was that the girl would do something with those flowers, like decorate your house, or give the flowers to somebody else.

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Originally Posted by ShakeyX

I've always struggled with perfective and imperfective. So because it's a one off action, that probably happened in a particluar moment in time, you use perfective?

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Exactly. Because, if you say "я дарил цветы" that would mean "I used to give". I know, the perfective/imperfective might be a struggle, but try to use the following rule: in a place where you can say "used to" in English, use imperfective in Russian; otherwise use perfective. In your sentence, you used "дал" and not "давал" correctly perfective-wise. :)

Haha yeh sorry was my confusing with the imperfective/perfective nonscene. Thanks so much guys, this has really helped. As I said only a few days till I'll be in Cheboksary, deep into the abis of Russia. Keyphrase for the trip being; Биг Мак. Не суп!

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Originally Posted by ShakeyX

Haha yeh sorry was my confusing with the imperfective/perfective nonscene. Thanks so much guys, this has really helped. As I said only a few days till I'll be in Cheboksary, deep into the abis of Russia. Keyphrase for the trip being; Биг Мак. Не суп!

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Боже...

Going to Russia to eat at McDonald's? I will say that when I was over there the McDonald's was, for some reason, tastier than stateside. But you need to load up on authentic Russia food!

haha yes I know, just joke. Although I have been looking at Russian Cuisine and it is pretty damn scary. For a veteran fast food junkie.

Just so you know, in your title, you reversed the i and the v.

Should be: Привет друзья