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- "Я бросаю яблоки в коробку."
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Correct scientific socialist analysis - this joke is the logical culmination of Gorbachevist гла́сность и перестройка!
At the box, meaning the apples are hitting the box but not falling into it? Yes, this can also be the meaning, but the first thing a native speaker would think of when hearing "Я бросаю яблоки в коробку" is that they are thrown into the box.
How would it be made clear that they are being thrown at the box? (context?)
Context, yes. You'd have to add an explanation that you are throwing the apples not into the box, but at the box. You can also say "Я кидаю яблоками по коробке" - that would definitely mean throwing them at the box.
I was wrong for using "toss" instead of "throw" and am curious about the difference.
1655
Not really. It has more to do with the force and speed with which an object is thrown - less force, less speed, and it's "tossed". It's just easier to throw something overhand, and toss something underhand, but watch a softball game which the ball is pitched underhand, and you'll see that balls can be thrown very hard underhand. And watch me try to throw a baseball, and you'll see that balls can be tossed overhand. I never did get the method for throwing a baseball, which for an American boy growing up in the 1950-60's meant there was something wrong with you.
When the noun ends in "у" for example: "в коробку" it means "to the box" and wheb the noun ends in "е" for example: "в коробке" it means "in the box" Am I right?
Pretty much, although the exact word endings for the different cases will depend on the word. It isn't always -у versus -e.
There are also a few exceptions (the "locative case" covered in the "Around You" lesson) where a stressed -у ending is used for saying that something happened "at/in" a place. The example in the notes is Мы в аэропорту́. = We are at the airport (https://www.duolingo.com/skill/ru/Around-you)
How can you tell when to use prepositional (в коробке) or accusative? Do you only use prepositional is state a location, and accusative for a destination?
In this particular case it is rather easy.
Location is where action takes place. With в and на you use Prepositional (a.k.a. Locative) for the location.
Direction is the place where action goes (though it starts somewhere else). With в and it requires Accusative.
- there are a tricky borderline cases with verbs of "putting" that allow two interpretations (to "move" the object from somewhere to a place X or to "leave" the object at a position X). Return to the topic a few months later :)
When designating motion towards, accompanied by the accusative, do we always use в even for locations with which we'd ordinarily use на?
- 1655
Doing this will guarantee a box of rotten apples. You don't throw or toss apples into anything. It bruises them, and they start rotting immediately.
could this mean to throw apples around whilst standing inside a giant box? if not, then the English translation should state 'into' the box
