# Участников курса



## Riverplatense

In a textbook of the Russian language I read 'the participants of the course' means _Участников курса_. However, I don't understand (and I actually don't speak Russian) the declination in this example. Why is the word _Участник_ used in genitive and not only _курс_ as a lot of languages would make me suppose? I'd say _участники курсов_. 

Спасибо!


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## gvozd

Is the textbook written by a native speaker? Please provide context or the whole sentence.


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## Riverplatense

It's a German book from 1980 written by the slavist K.A. Pfaffen. The sentence appears in a translation exercise: »The participants of the course are especially interested in radio technique.« The given translation is »Участников курса занимает особенно радиотехника.«


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## LilianaB

Pадиотехника is the subject in this sentence. The phrase you are asking about is in the Genitive.


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## gvozd

Riverplatense said:


> Участников курса занимает особенно радиотехника.



It's a correct sentence, I mean the case of the word участники. But it's a bit awkward. I would say Особенно участников курса занимает радиотехника. If you would like to use the nominative case, it would be something like Участники курса проявляют повышенный интерес к радиотехнике.


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## Riverplatense

LilianaB said:


> Pадиотехника is the subject in this sentence. The phrase you are asking about is in the Genitive.



Yes, and the same goes for the German version (I just wasn't able to translate it that loyally into English). But I still don't understand why _Участник_ is put into genitive being the course the thing they belong to and not vice versa.


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## gvozd

Riverplatense said:


> But I still don't understand why _Участник_ is put into genitive being the course the thing they belong to and not vice versa.



*Участников* курса занимает особенно радиотехника.
The main word is радиотехника. What does радиотехника? It generates interest (занимает). Whose interest? Of the participants (участник*ов*). Does this help a little?


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## ahvalj

Riverplatense said:


> Yes, and the same goes for the German version (I just wasn't able to translate it that loyally into English). But I still don't understand why _Участник_ is put into genitive being the course the thing they belong to and not vice versa.


First of all, this is the Accusative, which for a part of animate nouns coincides with the Genitive. Second, Russian — more than most other languages in Europe — likes constructions where the subject is somehow weakened. E. g. the English "I like" will be something "it is liked to me" in Russian, "I want" may be said as "it is wanted to me" etc. As far as I understand, German has more such constructions that English, whereas Russian has even more of them than German. So, here we have an example of it. «Участников конкурса занимает радиотехника» is less personalized, it sounds softer, less concrete, more elegant I would say...


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## Riverplatense

Thank you very much to all, it's much clearer now!


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## LilianaB

I do not want to argue, but I think it is the Genitive. Can you explain to me why you think it is the Accusative, briefly. I do not want to lead the thread totally OT.


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## ahvalj

LilianaB said:


> I do not want to argue, but I think it is the Genitive. Can you explain to me why you think it is the Accusative, briefly. I do not want to lead the thread totally OT.


«участников конкурса занимает радиотехника»
«мою маму занимает радиотехника»


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## Syline

*Riverplatense
*"Участников" is NOT the Genitive here, it is the Accusative plural conditioned by the transitive verb "занимать". We ask: Занимать кого / что ? 

Участников (accusative plural) курса (genitive singular) занимает особенно радиотехника (nominative singular). = Особенно радиотехника занимает участников курса.


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## Syline

As for the last place of the Subject, I think that is because "радиотехника" is the rheme here, opposed to the theme "участники курса". Just a usual inversion.


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## LilianaB

Thank you Skyline and Avalj. You are right.  Can you give me an example with an inanimate object, though.


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## Syline

*LilianaB 
*Мои мысли занимает радиотехника. 

PS I'm not Nissan


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## LilianaB

I am sorry about the confusion. I meant inanimate as an object, if this is possible at all with this expression. Thank you.

To me your screen name appears as the other word, if I do not look closely at it. This is the first impression.

Sorry , thank you. It is an object, just in a frontal position.


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## Syline

*LilianaB
*Er, but "мысли" IS an object (прямое дополнение) here. What else can it be?


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