LESSON 11: GIVING A RECOMMENDATION

Your Russian Course / UNIT 16 “I CAUGHT A COLD”

In Russian, the constructions "вам лучше" and "вам нужно/надо" are commonly used to give advice or express necessity.

“Вам лучше + infinitive” is used to give advice or suggest a better option. It is similar to the English phrase "You’d better" or "It’s better for you to".

1. Вам лучше больше отдыхать.
You’d better get more rest.

2. Вам лучше не пить кофе.
You’d better not drink coffee.

You can use this construction with other pronouns in the Dative case:

1. Мне лучше встать пораньше.
I’d better wake up earlier.

2. Тебе лучше не бегать.
It’s better for you not to run.

“Вам нужно/надо + infinitive” is used to express necessity or obligation. It is similar to the English phrase "You need to" or "You have to".

1. Вам нужно есть овощи и фрукты.
You need to eat vegetables and fruits.

2. Вам надо принимать витамины.
You have to take vitamins.

You can use this construction with other pronouns in the Dative case:

1. Нам нужно купить овощи.
We need to buy vegetables.

2. Мне надо работать.
I have to work.

"Надо" and "нужно" have similar meanings, but there is a difference in usage.

"Надо" is used only with verbs. While "нужно" can also be followed by a noun, meaning "something is needed". In this case, it agrees with the noun in gender and number (see Unit 13)