Meaning chooses plural
The nominative plural names more than one subject or identifies a set; morphology does not decide how many objects the speaker intends.
- Студе́нты чита́ют means 'The students are reading'. Э́то кни́ги means 'These are books'. The nominative still marks the subject or naming form; plural adds a number choice.
| Use | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject | Студе́нт чита́ет. | Студе́нты чита́ют. |
| identification | Э́то кни́га. | Э́то кни́ги. |
| generic statement | Кни́га - хоро́ший пода́рок. | Кни́ги - хоро́ший пода́рок. |
Mini-check
1. Change only number: Студе́нт рабо́тает. 2. Which form names several books in isolation?
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.