< Language Generator 11—Стать (To Become)
< Language Generator 11—Стать (To Become)
The verb “стать” means “to become” as in “to become a father”, “to become a problem”, or “to become large”. Because the thing named after стать is a role or acquired condition, it must always be in the instrumental case. Refer to Grammar 18—Instrumental Case for more information about the instrumental case and roles.
| Subject and Verb | Role singular/plural, in instrumental case |
|
Я ста́ну I shall become |
врачо́м/врача́ми a doctor/doctors |
|
Мы ста́нем We will become |
студе́нтом/студе́нтами a college student/college students |
|
Ты ста́нешь Thou wilt become |
а́втором/а́вторами an author/authors |
|
Вы ста́нете You will become |
во́ром/во́рами a thief/thieves |
|
Он/Она́/Оно́ ста́нет He/She/It will become |
отцо́м/отца́ми a father/fathers |
|
Они́ ста́нут They will become |
ма́терью/ма́терями a mother/mothers |
|
Он ста́л He became |
слуго́й/слуга́ми a servant/servants |
|
Она́ ста́ла She became |
учи́телем/учи́телями a teacher/teachers |
|
Оно́ ста́ло It became |
спо́рным вопро́сом a controversial question |
|
Они́ ста́ли They became |
пробле́мой для нас a problem for us |
|
Э́то ста́ло That became |
по́водом для преткнове́ния a cause for stumbling |
|
по́водом для ра́дости a cause for joy |
|
|
отве́том на наши́ моли́тва an answer to our prayers |
|
|
причи́ной его сме́рти the cause of his death |
The subject of the sentence and the word or phrase in the instrumental case will often not match in gender and number. For example:
Бездо́мные соба́ки ста́ли пробле́мой. |
Homeless dogs (plural) became a problem (feminine singular). |
А́нна ста́ла студе́нтом. |
Anna (feminine) became a student (masculine). |
The word “студент” in the second example, though grammatically masculine, used used to refer to a college student of either sex. Such words generally also have forms which refer only to females. For example:
| А́нна жила́ с други́ми студе́нтками. | Anna lived with the other studentesses. |
But using them with стать is likely to sound silly:
А́нна ста́ла студе́нткой. |
Anna became a studentess. |
She did not become female, she became a student, so using a sex-specific word here sounds odd.