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Russian word of the day: Выкручиваться
Apr 08, 2021 (see all)
выкру́чиваться
[ vy-krú-chee-va-tsa ]
(lit.) to come unscrewed; get out of a difficulty, to slip out, to clear oneself, to wiggle out
Examples
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Anita says:
Hello, in the second example, why сло́жные is not in instrumental case? Thanks.
Learn Russian Words says:
Hi Anita,
It is quite common to use the Nominative in such cases. Russian linguist D. Rosental said that the Nominative case describes a permanent feature, and the Instrumental case describes a temporary one.
The Nominative case with быть in the Past is also especially common when characterizing someone by profession, nationality, beliefs:
– Его отец был адвокат.
His father was a lawyer.
– Моя мать была француженка.
My mother was French.
– Учителя этой школы были убеждённые консерваторы.
The teachers of this school were staunch conservatives.
But if the noun has definitions, then the instrumental form is preferred:
– Его отец был известным петербургским адвокатом.
His father was a well-known St. Petersburg lawyer.