Feelings, Possibilities, and Permission in Russian: Subjectless Expressions and the Dative

An overview of subjectless (impersonal) constructions in Russian.
You'll use these all the time to express that you need to do something, that you're allowed to do something, that something is interesting boring or easy or hard for someone, how someone is feeling physically or emotionally...
Prerequisite: to get the most out of this tutorial, you should be familiar with dative case endings.

[@Livinivs]

These videos are so, so helpful Большой спасибо!

[@user-ye5wc8jj4u]

What a good video with good explanation. I subscribed 👌🏼

[@jorglohken5566]

bravo, thanks a lot! Just because I came across the topic a few moments ago: Is there a difference in meaning of надо and нужно? Well, I see the video is already more than 6 years old, but maybe somebody can weigh in on this? My preliminary guess was that надо is more about the necessity of _doing_ something (think of "I must (or have to) cut mushrooms to make salad") as in мне надо нарезать грибы для салата. And нужно more about the necessity of _having_ something, aka "I need [to have] mushrooms to make salad" as in мне нужно грибы для салата, but I don't really see that holding up on closer examination.

[@russiangrammar]

Both надо and нужно can be used with verbs; some say that надо is a little less formal, but the difference is very slight. You are on the right track with a more important difference: нужно can be used with things, but keep in mind that it agrees with the noun it refers to: мне нужен паспорт, нам нужна книга, ей нужно пальто, тебе нужны деньги. Another interesting nuance with verbs and negation: не нужно = "you don't have to," but не надо often has the stronger sense of "don't do this." Не нужно говорить об этом = "You don't have to talk about this." Не надо говорить об этом = "Don't talk about this!"

[@jorglohken5566]

@@russiangrammar great, thanks man, that really made my day! (I am easy like that :-D )

[@kavitashekhar4399]

We use verb in infinitive form after надо и нужно but we use noun after нужен,нужно,нужны и нужна so can you please tell me..how to differentiate whether we have to use verb or noun aftr нужно??

[@russiangrammar]

It just depends on what you want to say: if you need to do something, use a verb: нужно (or надо) оставаться дома, нужно мыть руки. If you need a thing, use a noun: нужна маска, нужно терпение, нужны деньги, нужна надежда. ))

[@kavitashekhar4399]

grammar thnks alot..💖💖

[@jeffreyd508]

What case is used after Mozshna? Or is it nominative? Ive listened to many sentences, and seems to be a mix of gen/acc/nom

[@russiangrammar]

Можно itself is used with the dative: Ему можно, а мне нельзя. = He can/may/is allowed to, but I'm not. Теперь всем можно заходить. = Now everyone may go inside. Только тогда нам можно будет расслабиться. = Only then we'll be able to relax. But you'll also see можно used with verbs that may require a different case: Можно поехать в Москву. (в + accusative expresses destination) Можно смотреть футбол. (смотреть + accusative) Студентам (dative) можно пользоваться компьютером. (пользоваться + instrumental) If you look again at the examples you've seen, it may be you've seen other cases because of a verb that's being used with можно.

[@jeffreyd508]

Russian grammar thanks for the detailed response! . Im confused about cases of words that come after можно without verbs. "Можно воды?" "Можно воду?" "Можно вина?"

[@russiangrammar]

Depends on the context. Often there's an implied verb (like попросить) that would take the accusative (for a direct object). That's why you can ask for someone on the phone like this: Можно Ольгу? In examples like Можно воды?, you hear genitive not because of можно, but just because the genitive can express a portion, a quantity of something, often like English "some..." So Можно вино? could be 'May I have the wine?' (all of it, the bottle), but Можно вина? could be 'May I have some wine?'

[@jeffreyd508]

Russian grammar Great explanation, thanks! Three native Russians couldnt explain it....they just use it!

[@metalboxalbatros]

great teaching but way too fast. thank you for your help.

[@russiangrammar]

sid vicious Thanks for the comment Sid - by 'too fast' do you mean the delivery, or the amount of material that is covered? I'm trying to find the right balance - according to my analytics the average viewing time is just 3 minutes, so I try to get in as much as possible, assuming people will rewind or watch again as needed. Questions are always welcome, too. :)

[@metalboxalbatros]

sorry for my curt remark, I didn't think you would actually read it, I just jotted it down mindlesssly. you are gifted teacher, and that's a fact, it is also a fact that your videos are vital to my comprehension of Russian.your material is for free, and you have all my respect for that. what I meant is that you talk at the speed of light, I have to hit pause all the time just to grasp the main points. having said that I'm not put off by that. In fact I listen to your lessons several times over a period of weeks so that everything sinks in nicely and feels almost natural in the end. bye for now Ferruccio (Treviso, Italy)

[@russiangrammar]

No apologies necessary, it's actually really helpful to get the feedback! I'll try to keep in mind that with youtube I'm also reaching many whose native language may not be English. Thanks!