У меня есть собака
U menya yest' sobaka
The English phrase "I have a dog" is translated into Russian as У меня есть собака (U menya yest' sobaka).
This phrase is used to state that the speaker owns a dog.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "At me there is a dog".
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the word есть is the third-person singular form of the verb быть (to be) and is used to indicate existence or possession.
How do you pronounce it?
U menya yest' sobaka
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Я имею собаку. While this is a literal translation of "I have a dog", it is not the natural way to express possession in Russian. Instead, use У меня есть…
Did you know?
- In Russian, the word есть can mean both 'to be' and 'to eat'.
- The Russian word собака actually comes from ancient Iranian languages rather than being a native Slavic word.
- The word собака can also be used in Russian slang to describe a person who is being particularly unpleasant or rude, much like calling someone a 'dog' in English.
Examples in context
- У меня есть собака.I have a dog.Tatoeba #1883696 by marafon, translation #378502 by CK
- У меня есть собака и кот.I have a dog and a cat.Tatoeba #3060221 by marafon, translation #441581 by CK
- Теперь у меня есть собака.I have a dog now.Tatoeba #8827384 by marafon, translation #8823014 by CK
- Привет! У меня есть собака по кличке Белка.Hi! I have a dog named Belka.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dmitry and Anastasia are chatting about their pets at a park.
- Дмитрий DmitryУ меня есть собака, она очень добрая.U menya yest' sobaka, ona ochen' dobraya.I have a dog, she is very kind.
- Анастасия AnastasiaКак мило! А у меня есть только кошка.Kak milo! A u menya yest' tol'ko koshka.How cute! But I only have a cat.
- Дмитрий DmitryКошки тоже отличные животные.Koshki tozhe otlichnyye zhivotnyye.Cats are also great animals.
- Анастасия AnastasiaЭто правда, Дмитрий.Eto pravda, Dmitriy.That is true, Dmitry.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries есть, меня, собака, у, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
