RUSSIAN CASES: GENERAL IDEA
RUSSIAN CASES: GENERAL IDEA
In English, the pronouns “I”, “you”, “he”, “she”, “we”, “they” have forms such as “me”, “you”, “him”, “her”, “us”, “them”. The situation is similar in Russian:
|
EN |
RU |
|
he |
он |
|
him |
его́ |
Such forms are called cases.
The initial form, denoting the subject of the action (who/what does something or who/what is in a certain state) is called the "Nominative case".
The form denoting the object of the action, which plays a passive role (who/what is under the action of the subject) is called the "Accusative case".
|
|
EN |
RU |
|
Nominative |
he |
он |
|
Accusative |
him |
его́ |
The difference between Russian and English is that such changes are typical not only for personal pronouns, but also for nouns, adjectives, numerals, pronouns of other classes and participles:
|
|
he |
brother |
my brother |
my older brother |
|
Nominative |
он |
брат |
мой брат |
мой ста́рший брат |
|
Accusative |
его́ |
бра́та |
моего́ бра́та |
моего́ ста́ршего бра́та |
There are six cases in Russian. In this article, we will consider only the general meanings of cases without specifying details, and also show examples for masculine and feminine nouns.
Case 1: Nominative (имени́тельный)
Questions: Who? / What? (Кто / Что?)
Principal Meaning: Subject (who/what performs the action or is in certain state)
Examples:
Masculine / Feminine:
Мой брат живёт здесь. / Моя́ сестра́ живёт здесь.
My brother lives here. / My sister lives here.
It's my brother/sister who performs the action (lives) here.
Case 2: Genitive (роди́тельный)
Questions: Whose? / Of what? (Чей?, Кого́? / Чего́?)
Principal Meaning: Possession, ownership; is used with most of prepositions, cardinal numbers, quantitative verbs
Examples:
Masculine / Feminine:
Это дом моего́ бра́та. / Это дом мое́й сестры́.
This is my brother’s house. / This is my sister’s house.
This is a/the house of my brother/sister, belonging to my brother/sister.
Case 3: Dative (да́тельный)
Questions: To whom? / To what? (Кому́? / Чему́?)
Principal Meaning: Indirect object, receiver of the result of the action
Examples:
Masculine / Feminine:
Скажи́ э́то моему́ бра́ту! / Скажи́ э́то мое́й сестре́!
Tell it to my brother! / Tell it to my sister!
My brother/sister receives the information told by you.
Case 4: Accusative (вини́тельный)
Questions: Whom? / What? (Кого́? / Что?)
Principal Meaning: Direct object (affected with the action of the subject)
Examples:
Masculine / Feminine:
Они́ лю́бят моего́ бра́та. / Они́ лю́бят мою́ сестру́.
They love my brother! / They love my sister!
My brother/sister is loved by them.
Case 5: Instrumental (твори́тельный)
Questions: By (means of) whom? / By (means) what? (Кем? / Чем?)
Principal Meaning: Instrument (by means of whan something is done), agent (by whom something is done), state
Examples:
Masculine / Feminine:
Э́та кни́га напи́сана мои́м бра́том. / Э́та кни́га напи́сана мое́й сестро́й.
This book was written by my brother. / This book was written by my sister.
Case 6: Prepositional (предло́жный)
Questions: In whom? On whom? About whom? / In what? On what? About what? (В ком? На ком? О ком? / В чём? На чём? О чём?)
Principal Meaning: is used with the preposition “о/об/обо” (about) and 3 prepositions denoting place such as “в/во” (in), “на” (on), “при” (at, near, next to)
Examples:
Masculine / Feminine:
Он ду́мает о моём бра́те. / Он ду́мает о мое́й сестре́.
He is thinking about my brother. / He is thinking about my siste.
Here the prepositional case is used because of the preposition “о” (about).
Now let's consider a sentence in which all 6 Russian cases are present:
Анто́н пи́шет письмо́ сестре́ Мари́ны карандашо́м на бума́ге.
Anton is writing a letter to Marina’s sister with a pencil on paper.
ü Анто́н – Anton (takes the Nominative case, because it's Anton who is performing the action "is writing" here being the subject of the sentence)
ü Мари́на – Marina
ü сестра́ – sister
o сестра́ Мари́ны – Marina’s sister("Marina" takes the Genitive case here, because she is the "owner" of the sister - Marina's sister)
o сестре́ Мари́ны – to Marina’s sister / to the sister of Marina ("sister" takes the Dative case here, because she is the receiver of the letter written by Marina)
ü письмо́ – letter (takes the Accusative case, because the letter plays the passive role here: the letter is affected by the subject (Anton) being written by him)
ü каранда́ш – pencil
o карандашо́м – with a pencil / by means of a pencil (takes the Instrumental case, because denotes the instrument, by means of which the letter is being written)
ü бума́га – paper ("paper" takes the Prepositional case, because this noun is used with the preposition "на" (on) denoting the place)
o на бума́ге – on paper
Let's replace all the words in this sentence without changing the sentence structure:
Анто́н => Оле́г.
писа́ть => рисова́ть / пи́шет => рису́ет
письмо́ => карти́на / письмо́ => карти́ну
сестра => подру́га / сестре́ => подру́ге
Мари́на => А́нна / Мари́ны => А́нны
каранда́ш => ме́л / карандашо́м => ме́лом
бума́га => стена́ / на бума́ге => на стене́
Now we have a different sentence with the same grammar:
Оле́г рису́ет карти́ну подру́ге А́нны ме́лом на стене́.
Oleg is drawing a picture for Anna’s friend with a chalk on the wall.
ü Оле́г – Oleg
ü А́нна – Anna
ü подру́га – (female) friend
o подру́га А́нны – Anna’s (female) friend
o подру́ге А́нны – for/to Anna’s (female) friend
ü карти́на – picture
o рисова́ть карти́ну – to draw a/the picture
o Оле́г рису́ет карти́ну – Oleg is drawing a/the picture
ü стена́ – wall
o на стене́ – on the wall
ü мел – chalk
o ме́лом – with a chalk (by means of a chalk)
See also: