A Beginner's Guide to Russian Cases
Welcome to the world of Russian cases! If you're new to Russian, this might seem a little strange, but it's one of the most important concepts to learn.
In English, we use word order to know who is doing what. For example, "The dog bit the man" is very different from "The man bit the dog".
In Russian, you don't (always) use word order. Instead, you change the endings of words (like nouns, adjectives, and pronouns) to show their role in the sentence. This system of changing endings is called "declension," and the different forms are called "cases."
There are six cases in Russian. Let's dive in!
The Six Cases: At a Glance
This table is a big overview. Don't worry about memorizing it all now! Use it as a reference. We'll break down each case below.
| Case Name | Key Questions | Main Job / Function | Possible Endings (M/F/N/Pl) | Example Endings (Masc / Fem / Plural) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Nominative (Именительный) | Who? (Кто?) What? (Что?) |
|
M: (Ø) F: а, я N: о, е Pl: ы, и, а, я |
M: стол (no change) F: книга Pl: столы / книги |
| 2. Genitive (Родительный) | Of whom? (Кого?) Of what? (Чего?) |
|
M: а, я F: ы, и N: а, я Pl: (Ø), ов, ей, ев |
M: стола F: книги Pl: столов / книг |
| 3. Dative (Дательный) | To whom? (Кому?) To what? (Чему?) |
|
M: у, ю F: е N: у, ю Pl: ам, ям |
M: столу F: книге Pl: столам / книгам |
| 4. Accusative (Винительный) | Whom? (Кого?) What? (Что?) |
|
M: (Inan: Nom; Anim: Gen) F: у, ю N: (Nom) Pl: (Inan: Nom; Anim: Gen) |
M: стол (no change, inanimate) F: книгу Pl: столы (inanimate) |
| 5. Instrumental (Творительный) | With whom? (Кем?) With what? (Чем?) |
|
M: ом, ем F: ой, ей, ью N: ом, ем Pl: ами, ями |
M: столом F: книгой Pl: столами / книгами |
| 6. Prepositional (Предложный) | About whom? (О ком?) About what? (О чём?) |
|
M: е F: е N: е Pl: ах, ях |
M: о столе F: о книге Pl: о столах / о книгах |
Try Our AI Case Helper!
Want to know how to decline a specific word? Click below and enter any Russian noun to see all six cases in singular and plural.
A Deep Dive Into Each Case
Let's look at the most common jobs for each case. This is where you really start to understand *why* the endings change.
1. Nominative (The "Subject" Case)
This is the easiest one! It's the "dictionary" form of the word. It answers "Who?" (Кто?) or "What?" (Что?).
Use it for: The subject of the sentence (the person/thing doing the action).
- Мама здесь. (Mom is here.) - Who is here? Mom.
- Стол стоит там. (The table stands there.) - What is there? The table.
- Это мой друг. (This is my friend.)
2. Genitive (The "Of" / "No" Case)
This case is a workhorse! It has many jobs. It generally answers "Of whom?" (Кого?) or "Of what?" (Чего?).
Main uses:
- Possession (of):
- Это книга брата. (This is brother's book / the book of the brother.)
- Absence (after "нет"):
- У меня нет машины. (I don't have a car.)
- Здесь нет стола. (There is no table here.)
- Quantity (after "много," "мало," 2-3-4, 5+):
- Много людей (A lot of people)
- Два стола (Two tables - Gen. Singular)
- Пять столов (Five tables - Gen. Plural)
- "From" (из, с, от):
- Я из России. (I am from Russia.)
3. Dative (The "To" / "Receiver" Case)
This case shows the indirect object, or the "receiver" of an action. It answers "To whom?" (Кому?) or "To what?" (Чему?).
Main uses:
- Giving "to" someone:
- Я дал книгу другу. (I gave the book to my friend.)
- Позвони маме. (Call mom.)
- "Liking" (with "нравится"):
- Мне нравится эта книга. (I like this book. - Lit. "To me is pleasing...")
- Age:
- Ему 25 лет. (He is 25 years old. - Lit. "To him...")
- "Need" (with "нужен"):
- Мне нужен билет. (I need a ticket.)
- Prepositions "к" (towards) and "по" (along):
- Я иду к врачу. (I'm going to the doctor.)
- Мы гуляем по парку. (We are walking along/through the park.)
4. Accusative (The "Direct Object" Case)
This case shows the direct object - the thing that receives the action. It answers "Whom?" (Кого?) or "What?" (Что?).
Key rule: For inanimate (not alive) masculine nouns, Accusative looks exactly like Nominative. For animate (alive) masculine nouns, Accusative looks like Genitive.
Main uses:
- Direct Object (the "victim" of the verb):
- Я читаю книгу. (I am reading a book.)
- Я вижу стол. (I see a table.) - Inanimate, no change.
- Я вижу брата. (I see my brother.) - Animate, looks like Genitive.
- Motion "to" a place (with "в" and "на"):
- Я иду в парк. (I am going to the park.)
- Положи на стол. (Put it on the table.)
5. Instrumental (The "With" / "By" Case)
This case shows the "instrument" or tool used to do something. It answers "With whom?" (Кем?) or "With what?" (Чем?).
Main uses:
- Tool or "instrument":
- Я пишу ручкой. (I am writing with a pen.)
- Он ест вилкой. (He is eating with a fork.)
- "With" a person (using "c"):
- Я гуляю с другом. (I am walking with a friend.)
- Professions (with "быть" - to be):
- Он хочет быть доктором. (He wants to be a doctor.)
- Other prepositions: "над" (above), "под" (under), "между" (between).
6. Prepositional (The "Location" / "About" Case)
This one is easy to remember: it is NEVER used without a preposition!
It answers "About whom?" (О ком?) or "About what?" (О чём?).
Main uses:
- Location (with "в" - in, "на" - on):
- Книга на столе. (The book is on the table.)
- Я живу в Москве. (I live in Moscow.)
- Topic ("about" - with "o"):
- Я думаю о работе. (I am thinking about work.)
- Мы говорим о музыке. (We are talking about music.)
Case Trainer
Let's practice! You'll get 30 random questions. Choose the correct form.
