Impersonal Sentences with the Dative — Russian Grammar

Many Russian sentences about feelings, weather, necessity and possibility have no grammatical subject at all. Where English says I am cold, Russian says "to me (it is) cold": the person who experiences the state goes into the dative case, and the state itself is expressed by a word ending in -о.

Weather and Surroundings

On its own, such a word describes the general situation.

О́чень жа́рко.
Óchen' zhárko.Óčenʹ žárko.
It's very hot.
Сего́дня дово́льно вла́жно и тепло́.
Segódnya dovól'no vlázhno i tepló.Segódnja dovólʹno vlážno i tepló.
Today it's quite humid and warm.
Но́чью обы́чно темно́.
Nóch'yu obýchno temnó.Nóčʹju obýčno temnó.
It's usually dark at night.

How Someone Feels

Add a person in the dative, and the sentence describes how that person feels.

Мне хо́лодно.
Mne khólodno.Mne xólodno.
I'm cold.
Ему́ хо́лодно. Ей жа́рко.
Yemú khólodno. Yey zhárko.Jemú xólodno. Jej žárko.
He is cold. She is hot.
Мне ску́чно.
Mne skúchno.Mne skúčno.
I'm bored.
Мне пло́хо.
Mne plókho.Mne plóxo.
I don't feel well.

Compare (Mne khólodnoMne xólodno), I feel cold, with (Ya kholódnyyJa xolódnyj), which would describe a person who is cold to the touch or cold in character.

Necessity, Possibility and Time

The same pattern expresses what is necessary, allowed or time to do, followed by an infinitive.

(núzhnonúžno) - it is necessary
(mózhnomóžno) - it is possible, allowed
(porá) - it is time
(trúdno) - it is difficult

Нам ну́жно уходи́ть сейча́с.
Nam núzhno ukhodít' seychás.Nam núžno uxodítʹ sejčás.
We need to leave now.
Мне пора́ идти́.
Mne porá idtí.
It's time for me to go.
Её тру́дно откры́ть.
Yeyó trúdno otkrýt'.Jejó trúdno otkrýtʹ.
It's hard to open.

Judgments

Words like (priyátnoprijátno), (véselo), (zhal'žalʹ) and (polézno) express an opinion about a situation or an activity.

Бы́ло прия́тно с ва́ми познако́миться.
Býlo priyátno s vámi poznakómit'sya.Býlo prijátno s vámi poznakómitʹsja.
It was nice to meet you.
Жаль, что ты не эконо́мишь.
Zhal', chto ty ne ekonómish'.Žalʹ, čto ty ne ekonómišʹ.
It's a pity you don't save.
Занима́ться спо́ртом поле́зно для ва́шего здоро́вья.
Zanimát'sya spórtom polézno dlya váshego zdoróv'ya.Zanimátʹsja spórtom polézno dlja vášego zdoróvʹja.
Doing sport is good for your health.

Past and Future

The past is formed with (býlo) and the future with (búdet), both always in this neuter form.

Бы́ло вку́сно.
Býlo vkúsno.
It was delicious.
Бу́дет хо́лодно.
Búdet khólodno.Búdet xólodno.
It will be cold.

Impersonal Verbs

A few verbs work the same way, always in the third person singular: (mne prikhóditsyamne prixóditsja) (I have to), (mne stóit) (I should).

Мне сто́ит наде́ть ку́ртку.
Mne stóit nadét' kúrtku.Mne stóit nadétʹ kúrtku.
I should put on a jacket.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Russian course

37 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 8. A few of them, with the words “Impersonal Sentences with the Dative” is about in bold:

Как смешно. Вы оба неправы.
Kak smeshnó. Vy óba neprávy.Kak smešnó. Vy óba neprávy.
How ridiculous. You are both wrong.
Lesson 163
Мне нужно ездить на велосипеде, пока я не куплю новую машину.
Mne núzhno yézdit' na velosipéde, poká ya ne kuplyú nóvuyu mashínu.Mne núžno jézditʹ na velosipéde, poká ja ne kupljú nóvuju mašínu.
I have to ride my bike until I get a new car.
Lesson 301
Жаль, что ты не экономишь.
Zhal', chto ty ne ekonómish'.Žalʹ, čto ty ne ekonómišʹ.
I wish you were more frugal.
Lesson 328

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