Liking and Needing — Russian Grammar

Two of the most frequent things to say - I like and I need - are built the same way in Russian, and the reverse of English. The thing that is liked or needed is the grammatical subject, and the person who likes or needs it is in the dative case.

Liking: нра́виться (nrávit'sya)

(Nrávit'syaNrávitʹsja) means to be pleasing. (Mne nrávitsya múzykaMne nrávitsja múzyka) is literally "music is pleasing to me". The verb agrees with the thing liked: singular (nrávitsyanrávitsja), plural (nrávyatsyanrávjatsja).

Мне э́то не нра́вится.
Mne éto ne nrávitsya.Mne éto ne nrávitsja.
I don't like this.
Мне нра́вятся твои́ во́лосы.
Mne nrávyatsya tvoí vólosy.Mne nrávjatsja tvoí vólosy.
I like your hair.
Ей нра́вится испа́нская еда́.
Yey nrávitsya ispánskaya yedá.Jej nrávitsja ispánskaja jedá.
She likes Spanish food.

With an infinitive, (nrávitsyanrávitsja) means to like doing.

Тебе́ нра́вится чита́ть кни́ги.
Tebé nrávitsya chitát' knígi.Tebé nrávitsja čitátʹ knígi.
You like reading books.
Нам нра́вится лета́ть.
Nam nrávitsya letát'.Nam nrávitsja letátʹ.
We like flying.

A First Impression: понра́виться (ponrávit'sya)

The perfective (ponrávit'syaponrávitʹsja) describes a reaction to something just experienced. In the past it agrees in gender with the thing.

Как вам понра́вилась еда́?
Kak vam ponrávilas' yedá?Kak vam ponrávilasʹ jedá?
How did you like the food?

Needing: ну́жен (núzhen)

(NúzhenNúžen) is a short adjective meaning necessary, and like any adjective it agrees with the thing needed:

(núzhennúžen) - with a masculine noun
(nuzhnánužná) - with a feminine noun
(núzhnonúžno) - with a neuter noun
(nuzhnýnužný) - with a plural noun

Ему́ ну́жен друг.
Yemú núzhen drug.Jemú núžen drug.
He needs a friend.
Мне нужна́ маши́на.
Mne nuzhná mashína.Mne nužná mašína.
I need a car.
Мне ну́жно води́тельское удостовере́ние.
Mne núzhno vodítel'skoye udostoveréniye.Mne núžno vodítelʹskoje udostoverénije.
I need a driver's license.
Како́го цве́та вам нужны́ ту́фли?
Kakógo tsvéta vam nuzhný túfli?Kakógo cvéta vam nužný túfli?
What color shoes do you need?

Needing to Do Something

Before an infinitive, always use the neuter (núzhnonúžno).

Мне ну́жно сходи́ть в магази́н.
Mne núzhno skhodít' v magazín.Mne núžno sxodítʹ v magazín.
I need to go to the store.
Нам ну́жно поговори́ть.
Nam núzhno pogovorít'.Nam núžno pogovorítʹ.
We need to talk.

Past and Future

In the past, a form of (byt'bytʹ) agrees with the thing: (mne núzhen bylmne núžen byl), (mne nuzhná bylámne nužná bylá). In the future, (búdet núzhenbúdet núžen).

Мне нужна́ была́ маши́на.
Mne nuzhná bylá mashína.Mne nužná bylá mašína.
I needed a car.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Russian course

33 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 41. A few of them, with the words “Liking and Needing” is about in bold:

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
Мне нужно почистить унитаз. Он слишком грязный.
Mne núzhno pochístit' unitáz. On slíshkom gryáznyy.Mne núžno počístitʹ unitáz. On slíškom grjáznyj.
I need to clean the toilet. It is too dirty.
Lesson 469

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