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John Martin
Word order... city, country or country, city?
In the book "We Begin to read in Russian", Kurlova IV, the author writes this example:
Завтра утром Анна летит в Италию, в Милан.
My question has to do with "в Италию, в Милан".
In English, we'd write or say, "to Milan, Italy". Is the Russian word order "normal" as written here?
Sep 21, 2018 2:18 PM
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Answers · 13
Actually, "в Италию, в Милан" sounds more natural to me than "в Милан, в Италию". First you tell some general information, then you narrow it down.
"В Милан, в Италию" is a bit redundant to me. Milan is a well-known city and most people know it's in Italy.
September 21, 2018
Doesn't really matter, it's all contextual. In your example the point is that she"s flying to Italy, Milan is extra information. Important information comes first.
September 21, 2018
When you specify where a city is located, you use "city – country" order, eg: купить билеты в Милан, Италия
The phrase "Завтра утром Анна летит в Италию, в Милан" doesn't say anything about location of Milan, it simply says that Anna is flying to Italy, more specifically, to Milan.
September 21, 2018
John, "Austin, Tеxas" is somеthing VЕRY Amеrican for my еyе. And strangе:) Wе simply don't havе a standard formula for this.
Your example is said as two intonational units (thе comma dеnotеs this) as if it was a parеnthеtical phrasе likе "in Italy, as usually". Or еvеn as "....to Italy. To Milan."
September 21, 2018
It seams to me that if you tell people where are you from I'd rather use "city - country" (I'm from Kiev, Ukraine - Я из Киева, Украина). But when you say that Anna is flying somewhere and you specify where exactly pattern "country - city" sounds better (Anna is flying to Italy, Milan - Анна летит в Италию, в Милан)
October 2, 2018
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