Lesson 15 - Noun Cases. Introduction.

Noun Cases

 

Mnemonics

Ned Gets Drunk And I Pay

Animate versus Inanimate

The distinction between animate and inanimate is important for the accusative case. In the animate case the accusative mostly has the same form as the genitive. In the inanimate case it typically matches the nominative.

Masculine nouns

Masculine Russian nouns generally end in a consonant (hard ending), -й, or a soft sign (-ь) (soft endings). The exceptions are generally animate: both diminutive forms of forenames (Алёша, Миша), and those nouns referring to males, such as папа and дедушка, most often ending in -а. These are declined as if feminine, but with masculine adjective and verb agreement.

This is the conjugation of a masculine, inanimate, hard noun in the singular and plural:

 

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Singular

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Plural

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Nominative

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рукА

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рУки

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Genitive

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рукИ

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рУк

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Dative

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рукЕ

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рукАм

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Accusative

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рукУ

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рУки

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Instrumental

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рукОй

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рукАми

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Prepositional (or: Locative)

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о рукЕ

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о рукАх

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First declension (masculine nouns ending with nothing and neuter nouns ending with -о/-е)

 

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Case

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Russian name

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Answer to:

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Little house

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Nominative

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имени́тельный

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кто/что это?

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ма́ленький дом

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Genitive

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роди́тельный

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нет кого́/чего́?

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ма́ленького до́ма

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Dative

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да́тельный

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дава́ть кому́/чему́?

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ма́ленькому до́му

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Accusative

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inanimated

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вини́тельный

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вини́ть кого́,что́?

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ма́ленький дом

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animated

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ма́ленького ма́льчика (boy)

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Instrumental

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твори́тельный

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горди́ться кем/чем?

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ма́леньким до́мом

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Prepositional (or: Locative)

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предло́жный

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говори́ть о ком/о чём?

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о ма́леньком до́ме

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Second Declension (feminine nouns ending with -а and masculine nouns ending with -я)

 

my apartment

Nominative (имени́тельный, кто/что это?) моя́ кварти́ра

Genitive (роди́тельный, нет кого́/чего́?) мое́й кварти́ры

Dative (да́тельный, дава́ть кому́/чему́?) мое́й кварти́ре

Accusative (вини́тельный, вини́ть кого́/что́?) мою́ соба́ку (dog), мою́ кварти́ру

Instrumental (твори́тельный, горди́ться кем/чем?) мое́й кварти́рой

Prepositional (or: Locative) (предло́жный, говори́ть о ком/о чём?) о мое́й кварти́ре

 

Third Declension (feminine nouns ending with -ь and neuter nouns ending with -я)

 

white door

Nominative (имени́тельный, кто́/что́ это?) бе́лая дверь

Genitive (роди́тельный, нет кого́/чего́?) бе́лой две́ри

Dative (да́тельный, дава́ть кому́/чему́?) бе́лой две́ри

Accusative (вини́тельный, вини́ть кого́/что́?) бе́лую ло́шадь (horse f.), бе́лую дверь

Instrumental (твори́тельный, горди́ться кем/чем?) бе́лой две́рью

Prepositional (or: Locative) (предло́жный, говори́ть о ко́м/о чё́м?) о бе́лой две́ри

 

 

Fourth Declension (Plural only nouns and all the above nouns in plural form)

 

white tables

(singular form: white table, белый стол)

Nominative (имени́тельный, кто́/что́ это?) бе́лые столы́

Genitive (роди́тельный, нет кого́/чего́?) бе́лых столо́в

Dative (да́тельный, дава́ть кому́/чему́?) бе́лым стола́м

Accusative (вини́тельный, вини́ть кого́/что́?) озорны́х ма́льчиков (naughty boys), бе́лые столы́

Instrumental (твори́тельный, горди́ться кем/чем?) бе́лыми стола́ми

Prepositional (or: Locative) (предло́жный, говори́ть о ко́м/о чём?) о бе́лых стола́х