Language/Russian/Grammar/Nominative-Case

From Polyglot Club WIKI
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This lesson can still be improved. EDIT IT NOW! & become VIP
Rate this lesson:
4.00
(one vote)

◀️ Telling Time — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Prepositional Case ▶️

Russian-Language-PolyglotClub.png
RussianGrammar0 to A1 Course → Russian Nouns and Gender → Nominative Case

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Welcome to the lesson on the Nominative case in Russian! In this lesson, you will learn the basics of the Nominative case and how to use it correctly with Russian nouns. The Nominative case is the default case for nouns in Russian, and it is used to indicate the subject of a sentence. Understanding and using the Nominative case correctly is essential for building a strong foundation in the Russian language. So let's dive in and explore the world of Russian nouns in the Nominative case!

Overview of Russian Nouns[edit | edit source]

Before we dive into the Nominative case, let's briefly review some key information about Russian nouns.

In Russian, nouns have three grammatical categories: gender, number, and case. Each noun is assigned a gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), which affects the forms of adjectives and verbs that modify the noun. Nouns can also be singular or plural, indicating whether there is one or more than one of the noun. Finally, nouns have different forms, or cases, which indicate their grammatical role in a sentence.

Gender Recognition[edit | edit source]

In Russian, nouns are classified into three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Recognizing the gender of a noun is crucial because it determines the declension pattern that the noun follows in different cases.

To determine the gender of a noun, you can look at several clues. Firstly, the ending of the noun can give you a hint about its gender. For example, most nouns ending in "-а" or "-я" are feminine, while nouns ending in "-о" or "-е" are usually neuter. Secondly, you can also rely on the meaning of the noun. Many nouns referring to males are masculine, while nouns referring to females are feminine. However, there are exceptions, so it's important to learn the gender of each noun individually.

Let's take a look at some examples:

Russian Pronunciation English
ма́ма má-ma mother
па́па pá-pa father
сестра́ ses-trá sister
брат brat brother
окно́ ok-nó window
де́ло dyé-la thing

As you can see from the examples above, the gender of a noun can vary, and it's important to memorize the gender of each noun along with its meaning.

Noun Cases Overview[edit | edit source]

In Russian, nouns have six different cases, each indicating a different grammatical role in a sentence. The six cases are: Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative, Instrumental, and Prepositional. In this lesson, we will focus on the Nominative case.

The Nominative case is the default case for Russian nouns. It is used to indicate the subject of a sentence, the noun that performs the action of the verb. Nouns in the Nominative case are typically found at the beginning of a sentence or clause.

Let's see some examples of nouns in the Nominative case:

Russian Pronunciation English
кот kot cat
дом dom house
я́блоко yá-blá-ka apple
у́читель ú-chi-tyel' teacher
кни́га kneé-ga book

In the examples above, the nouns are in the Nominative case because they are the subjects of the sentences.

Nominative Case Endings[edit | edit source]

To form the Nominative case, nouns undergo changes in their endings depending on their gender and declension pattern. Let's take a closer look at the endings for each gender:

Masculine Nouns[edit | edit source]

Most masculine nouns have the following endings in the Nominative case:

  • If the noun ends in a consonant, the ending is "-ø" or "-и" (after soft consonants).
  • If the noun ends in "-й" or "-ь", the ending is dropped.

Here are some examples of masculine nouns in the Nominative case:

Russian Pronunciation English
стол stol table
челове́к che-lo-vék man
город go-rod city
рука́ ru-ká hand
язы́к ya-zýk language

In the examples above, the masculine nouns have different endings depending on their final consonants or the presence of soft consonants. It's important to memorize the specific declension patterns for masculine nouns.

Feminine Nouns[edit | edit source]

Most feminine nouns have the following endings in the Nominative case:

  • If the noun ends in "-а" or "-я", the ending is "-а" or "-я" respectively.
  • If the noun ends in "-ь", the ending is dropped.

Here are some examples of feminine nouns in the Nominative case:

Russian Pronunciation English
ма́ма má-ma mother
сестра́ ses-trá sister
кни́га kneé-ga book
у́лица ú-lee-tsa street
но́чь noch' night

In the examples above, the feminine nouns have different endings depending on their final letters. Like masculine nouns, it's important to memorize the specific declension patterns for feminine nouns.

Neuter Nouns[edit | edit source]

Most neuter nouns have the following endings in the Nominative case:

  • If the noun ends in "-о" or "-е", the ending is "-о" or "-е" respectively.

Here are some examples of neuter nouns in the Nominative case:

Russian Pronunciation English
окно́ ok-nó window
де́ло dyé-la thing
мо́ре mó-re sea
небо́ nyé-bo sky
солнце́ soln-tsé sun

In the examples above, the neuter nouns have different endings depending on their final letters. As with masculine and feminine nouns, it's important to memorize the specific declension patterns for neuter nouns.

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

Congratulations! You have now learned the basics of the Nominative case in Russian. The Nominative case is the default case for Russian nouns and is used to indicate the subject of a sentence. By understanding the gender of nouns and their corresponding declension patterns, you can correctly form nouns in the Nominative case.

In the next lesson, we will explore the Accusative case, which is used to indicate the direct object of a sentence. Keep practicing and building your knowledge of Russian grammar, and soon you will be able to confidently navigate the complexities of the Russian language!

Table of Contents - Russian Course - 0 to A1[edit source]


Alphabet and Pronunciation


Basic Phrases and Greetings


Nouns and Gender


Numbers and Time


Cases and Prepositions


Family and Relationships


Verbs and Conjugation


Food and Dining


Russian Traditions and Holidays


Travel and Transportation


Adjectives and Adverbs


Hobbies and Leisure Activities


Russian Literature and Arts

Videos[edit | edit source]

#49 Russian cases - Nominative case, Russian grammar - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Adjective Agreement in Russian (Nominative) - YouTube[edit | edit source]

#26 Russian Grammar: cases - nominative, genitive, dative ...[edit | edit source]



Sources[edit | edit source]



Other Lessons[edit | edit source]




◀️ Telling Time — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Prepositional Case ▶️

Contributors

Maintenance script and Vincent


Create a new Lesson