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Проблема
The Russian word for problem is проблема. It is a perfectly regular second declension noun:
| Sg | Pl | |
| Nom | проблема | проблемы |
| Acc | проблему | |
| Gen | проблемы | проблем |
| Pre | проблеме | проблемах |
| Dat | проблемам | |
| Ins | проблемой | проблемами |
Very often this word is used with a location phrase:
| У меня проблемы на работе. | I have problems at work. |
| У Тани проблемы в университете. | Tanya has problems at the university. |
It is also used with с + instrumental:
| У нас проблемы с сыном. Он очень плохо учится. | We are having problems with our son. He's a terrible student. |
| — Жанна, почему ты такая грустная? — У меня проблемы с моим парнем. |
“Zhanna, why are you so sad?” “I'm having problems with my boyfriend.” |
| Боря не смог войти в систему. У него была проблема с клавиатурой. | Boris couldn't log in to the system. He had a problem with his keyboard. |
| — У меня ужасный геморрой. Есть ли у тебя такая же проблема? — Ради Бога, джентельмены не разглашают свои недостатки. |
“I have terrible hemorrhoids. Do you have that problem as well?” “Oh, for God's sake. Gentlemen don't advertise their ailments.”¹ |
¹Okay, this really isn't a common phrase in Russian. I stole it from one of the Batman movies. And недостатки is more like 'physical defects' than 'ailments'. But the original sentence is so genteel in English that I really wanted to produce something similar in Russian.
4 comments
Comment from: Don [Member] 
Thanks to Andrey and Olimo who pointed out that геморрой is always singular in Russian. In English the condition is generically discussed in the plural. And thanks to Mike for pointing out a formatting issue that previously hid some of the plural endings.
11/21/11 @ 06:29
Comment from: Arseny [Visitor]
What? Проблема is FIRST declension noun and has auxiliary form of plural instrumental case - проблемою.
Don responds: Thanks! Error corrected.
12/02/11 @ 23:08
Comment from: Clifton [Visitor]
Surely the accusative singular is проблему, not проблема?
Don responds: Thanks! Error corrected.
12/09/11 @ 00:11
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