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Topic practice·падежи́ · cases

Russian cases practice

A case is the form a noun takes to show its job in a sentence. Russian has six, and almost every sentence uses several. Work through them one at a time: each set starts with the basic ending and builds to the uses advanced learners need.

A1–C128 questionsAnswered 0 · right 0
кни́га book: one noun, six forms NOM · WHO? WHAT?ACC · WHOM? WHAT?GEN · OF WHAT?DAT · TO WHAT?INSTR · WITH WHAT?PREP · ABOUT WHAT? кни́гакни́гукни́гикни́гекни́гойо кни́ге
Only the ending changes. Learn which question each case answers and the ending follows.
Nominative4 qAccusative4 qPrepositional4 qGenitive4 qDative4 qInstrumental4 qPlural endings4 q

Nominative имени́тельный

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The dictionary form. It marks the subject (who or what does the action) and the thing named after “this is”.

Endings
m столf кни́гаn окно́
A1… чита́ет. Mum is reading.
A1Э́то мой … This is my brother.
A2Мне нра́вится … I like music.
B1У меня́ есть … I have a dog.

Accusative вини́тельный

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The direct object: the thing the action is done to. Also direction after в and на (“into, onto”).

Я иду́ в теа́тр.into: accusativeЯ в теа́тре.in: prepositional
The same preposition в takes two cases: accusative for movement into a place, prepositional for being there.
Endings
m inanimate = nomm animate -а/-яf -у/-юn = nom
A1Я люблю́ … I love coffee.
A1Она́ пьёт … She drinks water.
A2Я ви́жу … I see my brother.
A2Мы идём в … We’re going to the theatre.

Prepositional предло́жный

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Used only after prepositions: в and на for location (“in, at”), о for “about”.

Endings
most nouns -е-ия, -ие, -ь (f) -и
A1Я живу́ в … I live in London.
A1Кни́га на … The book is on the table.
A2Мы говори́м о … We’re talking about Russia.
B1Он рабо́тает в … He works in the garden.

Genitive роди́тельный

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The case of “of”: possession, quantity, absence (нет) and many prepositions (у, из, без, для, по́сле).

1оди́н столnominative2–4два стола́genitive singular5+пять столо́вgenitive plural
After numbers the genitive takes over: singular after 2, 3, 4; plural from 5 up. стол means table.
Endings
m/n -а/-яf -ы/-и
A1Э́то маши́на … This is Dad’s car.
A2Здесь нет … There’s no milk here.
A2Я из … I’m from Spain.
B1Он бои́тся … He’s afraid of dogs.

Dative да́тельный

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The recipient (“to, for”), the person who feels something (мне хо́лодно), and after к (towards) and по (along, by).

Endings
m/n -у/-юf -е/-и
A2Я даю́ кни́гу … I give the book to my sister.
A2… два́дцать лет. Anton is twenty.
B1Я иду́ к … I’m going to the doctor’s.
B1Мы гуля́ли по … We walked around the city.

Instrumental твори́тельный

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The means (“by, with”), company after с (“with”), and jobs after быть and рабо́тать.

Endings
m/n -ом/-емf -ой/-ей
A2Я пишу́ … I write with a pen.
A2Мы с … в кино́. My friend and I are at the cinema.
B1Она́ рабо́тает … She works as a teacher.
B2В де́тстве он был … As a child he was shy.

Plural endings мно́жественное число́

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Every case has its plural. The dative, instrumental and prepositional plurals are the same for all genders; the genitive plural is the hardest.

Endings
dat -амinstr -амиprep -ахgen -ов / -ей / zero
B1Мы говори́м о … We’re talking about books.
B1Я помога́ю … I help my friends.
B2В кла́ссе пятна́дцать … There are fifteen pupils in the class.
C1Ско́лько у вас …? How many apples do you have?