Conventionally, Russian nouns have six cases:nominative case,genitive case,dative case,accusative case,instrumental case, andprepositional case. However, some nouns retain vestiges of Old Russianvocative case, and some have acquired apartitive-genitive case separate from the genitive and/or alocative case separate from the prepositional.
Thenominative case is thesubject case, and this is considered the basic form of a word:
We read books. | Мы чита́ем кни́ги. | My čitájem knígi. |
Maria likes Ivan. | Мари́я лю́бит Ива́на. | Maríja ljúbit Ivána. |
People speak (in) different languages. | Лю́ди говоря́т на ра́зных языка́х. | Ljúdi govorját na ráznyx jazykáx. |
Thegenitive case is similar to the Englishpossessive case, and it often corresponds to Englishof or the possessive ending’s:
A boxof popcorn | Коро́бкапопко́рна | Koróbkapopkórna |
A glassof water | Стака́нводы́ | Stakánvodý |
Amother’s child | Ребёнокма́тери | Rebjónokmáteri |
Thedative case is similar to the Englishindirect object, and it often corresponds to the wordsto ortowards:
Give the appleto me. | Отда́й я́блокомне. | Otdáj jáblokomne. |
I am goingto the teacher. | Я иду́к учи́телю. | Ja idúk učítelju |
Helen is walkingtowards the station. | Еле́на идётк вокза́лу. | Jeléna idjótk vokzálu. |
John gives flowersto Anne. | Ива́н даёт цветы́А́нне. | Iván dajót cvetýÁnne. |
Theaccusative case is like the Englishdirect object, although in some cases describes motion:
I seethe book. | Я ви́жукни́гу. | Ja vížuknígu. |
We must buydinner. | Нам на́до купи́тьу́жин. | Nam nádo kupítʹúžin. |
Let’s go intothe theatre. | Пойдём втеа́тр. | Pojdjóm vteátr. |
Theinstrumental case indicates the agent or the instrument of an action, and it often corresponds to Englishwith orby:
He iswith me. | Онсо мно́й. | Onso mnój. |
I hit my thumbwith the hammer. | Я уши́б себе́ па́лецмолотко́м. | Ja ušíb sebé pálecmolotkóm. |
They writewith pens. | Они́ пи́шутру́чками. | Oní píšutrúčkami. |
He sent a letterby post. | Он посла́л письмо́по́чтой. | On poslál pisʹmópóčtoj. |
Theprepositional case always takes a preposition, and it often indicates location:
The book ison the table. | Кни́га лежи́тна столе́. | Kníga ležítna stolé. |
I amin the cinema. | Яв кинотеа́тре. | Jav kinoteátre. |
I like to readabout people. | Мне нра́вится чита́тьо лю́дях. | Mne nrávitsja čitátʹo ljúdjax. |
Thepartitive-genitive case, when different from the genitive, means part of something, some of something:
A cupof tea (some tea) | Ча́шкача́ю | Čáškačáju |
A pieceof bread (some bread) | Кусо́кхле́ба | Kusókxléba |
Thelocative case, when it differs from the prepositional case, indicates location:
A tree is growingon the bank of the river. | Де́рево растётна берегу́ реки́. | Dérevo rastjótna beregú rekí. |
Thevocative case survives in only a few words of a religious nature, and this case marks the person being addressed. In some old writing and in some poetry, this is sometimes indicated with the word "O" or "Oh" in English:
(Oh) MyGod! | Бо́же мой! | Bóže moj! |
God forbid! | Сохрани́бо́же! | Soxraníbóže! |
O Lord Jesus! | Го́споди Иису́се! | Góspodi Iisúse! |
In addition, there is a new colloquial vocative case used with some names or family members ending in -а or -я, a so-called "new vocative". It's formed by dropping the final -а or -я, -я is changed to -ь, for example:
Sasha! | Са́ша | Саш! | Saš! |
Masha! | Ма́ша | Маш! | Maš! |
Katya! | Ка́тя | Кать! | Katʹ! |
Vanya! | Ва́ня | Вань! | Vanʹ! |
mum! | ма́ма | мам! | mam! |
dad! | па́па | пап! | pap! |
This is not considered very standard. These forms are normally not included in dictionaries and formally the nominative case is used for this purpose.
Russian nouns are frequently irregular in declension, and specific declensions may be found in most articles. Listed here are what we consider to be standard regular declensions:
Nouns that end in a hard consonant or the vowels-а or-о are hard and follow these hard patterns:
1. Hard feminine case endings:
N.B.—Nouns that end (after dropping the final vowel in the case of feminines or neuters) in the consonants-г,-к,-х,-ж,-ч,-ш, or-щ are also hard, but they take soft-и instead of-ы in the applicable cases:
2. Hard feminine case endings with-и:
Feminine nouns in-я follow these soft patterns:
3. Soft feminine case endings:
1. Hard masculine case endings:
2. Hard neuter case endings:
N.B.—Nouns that end (after dropping the final vowel in the case of feminines or neuters) in the consonants-г,-к,-х,-ж,-ч,-ш, or-щ are also hard, but they take soft-и instead of-ы in the applicable cases:
3. Hard masculine case endings with-и:
Masculine nouns that end in-й or-ь, neuter nouns in-е follow these soft patterns.
4. Soft masculine case endings:
5. Soft neuter case endings:
Feminine nouns in-ь belong to the third declension:
The following codes are used in declension tables, in the following order: