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- "Кошка на дереве."
56 Comments
Because it isn't outside the edge of the tree. In the same way, you "sit in an armchair". "Up the tree" is also correct, which I've flagged.
Russians would be translated "the cat is in the tree" to Russian as "кошка в дереве". This would be meant "the cat in the hollow in the tree" or "in the tree trunk".))
The cat is becoming the tree, making one with it. And then it will get all of the birds!
I believe it should be "on the tree", let's have a look into the dictionary http://www.lingvo-online.ru/en/Translate/ru-en/%D0%BD%D0%B0%20%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5 на = (сверху, на поверхности) on
"The cat is on the tree" sounds wrong in English. "The cat is in the tree" is the natural way of expressing the meaning of the sentence above.
Translating prepositions is usually tricky, because they do not map one-to-one. This is exactly an example: while usually в=in and на=on, the type of relation a cat has with a tree is described with на in Russian and with in in English.
402
For my opinion, in Russian its enough simple. Use "на=on" any time when something on something, on surface of something, no matter is it on top or in the middle or in the begining of something. For example: The cat is on the trunk of the tree. The cat is on a branch in the middle of a tree. The cat is on the top of the tree. In all these cases Russians use "на". Why in English it - in the tree, I don't understand. For Russian in=в, so "in the tree" means "inside the tree". Google translates "кошка находится на дереве" - "the cat is on the tree".
- 402
The only way when I might use "in" in this case is only - "cat in the crown of the tree" (inside the crown)
Because in English it would come out like you were trying to say that the cat was somehow balancing on treetop and usually cats climb around amidst and among the branches; however, not Within the Trunk, yes?
In addition to what's already been said... and to make things even more fun, 'на' also means "on" as in literally on top of something. For example "on the table" = "на столе".
The rules are rarely simple and there are many exceptions. The way I figured this one out was that well, the cat's not inside ('в') the tree so I guess it's the other option.
English uses different prepositions when something is:
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in the middle of a tree (on a leaf or on a branch): in. Examples: The monkeys are in the tree. The cat is in the tree.
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on the top of a tree: on. Example: The bird landed on the (top of the) tree. The boy sat on the (top of the) tree after climbing it.
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inside the tree (in a hole of the tree or inside its components): in. There is gold hidden in that tree. Rubber is made from milky latex in the rubber tree.
On the tree would be if the cat was at the very top and there were no other branches or leaves, because there are usually branches and leaves, the cat would be surrounded by other tree matter, making the cat "in" the tree.
- 539
It's explained in the tips & notes to the lesson (prepositional case).
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/ru/Where-is-it%3F/tips-and-notes
- 1538
It seems like when "there is" is involved, you somehow have to work есть into the sentence: google translate suggests
в дереве есть кошка
for your sentence.
I have seen this есть = "there is" elsewhere on numerous occasions, e.g. «тарелка на столе/на столе есть тарелка»
"A/the plate is on the table/there is a plate on the table"
You're missing the verb "to be" in that sentence. You have a subject and a location, but nothing that ties them together in a syntax-approved manner. "A/the cat is in the tree" would be accepted.
So if someone asked "which cat are you talking about?" And i replied "the cat in the tree" what would that be in Russian?
- 401
So far the discussion is about "in" or "on" THE tree. But the answer given as correct is in A tree! Are both (A and THE) correct?
- 402
If we are talking about a certain (specific) cat that is sitting on a tree, then most likely it must be a certain tree. So it should be-on the tree.
де́рево (dérevo) [ˈdʲerʲɪvə] "tree; wood": From Proto-Slavic *dervo, from Proto-Indo-European *dóru, whence English tree. Doublet of дре́во (drévo).
Right, it may sound right to non native english speakers however the cat could rest on a branch while it's in the area the tree encompasses. :) This isn't fun for anyone, the scheming cat itself wanted to be on the tree, lucky for everyone - Good grammer won!
How do determine the article which comes in front of objects in russian? It has cost me a question.
это is "there is" for male ,эта is "there is" for female, while этот is "this one" for male
In English, "in the tree" is a shorter way of saying something like "in amongst the branches of the tree" If the cat was somehow located within the trunk of the tree, we could say "inside the tree"
If you say in Russian: Кошка на дереве, this means that the cat has climbed the tree...My aunt was Russian, and also a teacher of Russian language and as soon as I remember that language this must be the correct translation
Can you distinguish in russian between a cat being up/in a tree and by a tree ( ie not in it) ?
In English, "in a tree" means "on a branch of a tree, below its top" and "on a tree" means "on the top of a tree". The Russian sentence probably refers to the former and that's why "in" is used in the main translation and "on" is rejected.
By the way, this had already been mentioned in previous comments.
