Position of pronouns in Russian

Asked by George Jagels on March 19, 2019

Question

In English an object pronoun always follows a verb, and in Spanish it always precedes the verb. It seems like there is no rule for that in Russian. For example, on Pg. 36 of the Penguin NEW RUSSIAN COURSE we get Вы меня понимаете? but on pg. 38 we get Вы знаете меня? Is it just random, or is there some nuance of meaning difference depending on where the object pronoun is placed in relation to the verb?

Answer

Hello George,

Actually, there are no strics rules for that in Russian. The only nuance is that if the pronoun is at the end of a sentence, it is emphasised.

For example,

Вы знаете меня? Do you know ME? (The most important information in the sentence is МЕНЯ).

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