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Anna
When to use instrumental case with быть
Can anyone help me with when to use the instrumental case with быть? - eg:
- я буду счастливая vs я буду счастливым
- я буду врач vs я буду врачом
thanks!
May 26, 2019 3:26 PM
Answers · 5
1
быть+noun in the instrumental case, always:
Я буду врачом - correct
Я буду врач - incorrect
быть+adjective in its SHORT form OR быть+adjective in its LONG form+noun:
Я буду счастлива - correct, the short form of the adjective is used because there's no noun after it
Я буду счастливой женой - correct, the long form of the adjective before a noun is used
Я буду счастливая - grammatical but less used
Я буду счастливая жена - incorrect because we have a noun after the adjective here
More about short and long adjectives in Russian http://masterrussian.com/aa041601a.shtml
May 26, 2019
1
You use the instrumental case with the copula быть in the past and the future if a noun is a part of the predicative expression (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_predicate). Grammatically, both the nominative and instrumental are possible (as usual, a lot depends on the context), but in the modern Russian there is a strong preference for the instrumental case, especially in the future tense.
May 27, 2019
я буду счастливАЯ - a woman said
я буду счастливЫМ - a man said
я буду ВРАЧ - this is the nominative case which is can't be used here
я буду врачОМ - and this is the instrumental case which is correct
May 26, 2019
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Anna
Language Skills
English, French, Georgian, Russian
Learning Language
French, Russian
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