Language/Russian/Grammar/Nouns
Hi Russian learners! π
In this lesson, we will dive into the fascinating world of Russian nouns. You will learn about gender, cases, declension patterns, and exceptions. Moreover, we will share cultural information and fun facts that will enrich your understanding of the Russian language and its speakers. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and use Russian nouns accurately and confidently. Let's get started!
After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Use of the verb Π±ΡΡΡ in the past, Russian Grammar β Russian Pronouns β Noun-Adjective Agreement, ΠΠΎΠ΅ Π’ΠΎ ΠΠΈΠ±ΡΠ΄Ρ & Comparatives and Superlatives.
Gender[edit | edit source]
Like many Slavic and Romance languages, Russian has grammatical gender. Each noun belongs to one of three genders: feminine, masculine, or neuter. The gender of a noun determines its declension pattern in the accusative, genitive, dative, instrumental, and prepositional cases. Moreover, the gender of adjectives and pronouns agrees with the gender of the noun they modify or replace. Therefore, it is essential to learn the gender of Russian nouns as early as possible.
Some general rules can help you guess the gender of a noun based on its suffix. However, there are also many exceptions and irregularities that you need to memorize or learn through exposure. Here are some examples of commonly used suffixes and their corresponding genders:
Suffix | Gender | Example |
---|---|---|
-Π°; -Ρ | Feminine | ΠΌΠ°ΠΌΠ° (mama) - mother; Π ΠΎΡΡΠΈΡ (Rossiya) - Russia |
-ΠΎ; -Π΅; -ΠΈΠ΅ | Neuter | ΠΌΠΎΠ»ΠΎΠΊΠΎ (moloko) - milk; ΠΎΠΊΠ½ΠΎ (okno) - window; Π·Π΄Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ (zdanie) - building |
-ΠΈΠΉ; -ΠΎΠΉ | Masculine | ΠΏΠ°ΠΏΠ° (papa) - father; Π΄ΠΎΠΌ (dom) - house; ΠΌΡΠ·Π΅ΠΉ (muzey) - museum |
However, there are many exceptions to these suffixes that you will encounter when learning Russian nouns. One interesting fact is that some Russian nouns have both masculine and feminine forms, depending on their meaning or context. For example, the noun Π΄ΠΎΠΊΡΠΎΡ (doktor) can be either masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the person who practices medicine or holds the degree of doctorate. Another example is the word ΡΡΡΠ΄Π΅Π½Ρ (student), which can be either masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the person who studies.
Cases[edit | edit source]
Russian has six cases: nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, instrumental, and prepositional. Each case serves a specific function and changes the ending of nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and numerals. Here is a summary of the main functions of each case:
- Nominative: marks the subject of a sentence or a predicate nominative;
- Accusative: marks the direct object of a transitive verb or the object of some prepositions;
- Genitive: marks possession, negation, comparison, and some prepositions;
- Dative: marks the indirect object of a verb, recipients of actions, and some prepositions;
- Instrumental: marks the means or instrument of an action, some prepositions, and formal titles;
- Prepositional: marks the location, time, and certain prepositions.
Each gender has its declension pattern, which involves changing the endings of the noun depending on the case, number, and animacy. Some nouns have hard stem endings, while others have soft stem endings, depending on the last consonant of the stem. Moreover, some nouns have irregular declension patterns, which you need to memorize or learn through exposure.
Here is a dialogue that illustrates the use of cases in Russian:
- Person 1: ΠΡΠΈΠ²Π΅Ρ! ΠΠ°ΠΊ ΡΡ? (Privet! Kak ty?) - Hi! How are you?
- Person 2: Π₯ΠΎΡΠΎΡΠΎ, ΡΠΏΠ°ΡΠΈΠ±ΠΎ. Π ΡΡ? (Khorosho, spasibo. A ty?) - Good, thank you. And you?
- Person 1: Π― ΡΠΎΠΆΠ΅ Ρ ΠΎΡΠΎΡΠΎ. Π’Ρ Π·Π½Π°Π΅ΡΡ, Π³Π΄Π΅ ΠΌΠ΅ΡΡΠΎ? (Ya tozhe khorosho. Ty znaesh', gde metro?) - I'm good too. Do you know where the subway is?
- Person 2: ΠΠ°, ΠΊΠΎΠ½Π΅ΡΠ½ΠΎ. ΠΠ΅ΡΡΠΎ Π½Π°Ρ ΠΎΠ΄ΠΈΡΡΡ ΡΡΠ΄ΠΎΠΌ ΡΠΎ Π·Π΄Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ΠΌ ΡΠ½ΠΈΠ²Π΅ΡΡΠΈΡΠ΅ΡΠ°. (Da, konechno. Metro nakhoditsya ryadom so zdaniyem universiteta.) - Yes, of course. The subway is located near the university building.
As you can see, the nouns ΠΌΠ΅ΡΡΠΎ (metro), Π·Π΄Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ (zdanie), and ΡΠ½ΠΈΠ²Π΅ΡΡΠΈΡΠ΅Ρ (universitet) change their endings depending on their case and function in the sentence.
Here are some examples of declension patterns for each gender in the singular form:
Masculine[edit | edit source]
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Π΄ΠΎΠΌ | dom | house |
Π΄Π΅Π½Ρ | den' | day |
ΠΏΠ°ΠΏΠ° | papa | father |
Feminine[edit | edit source]
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
ΠΌΠ°ΠΌΠ° | mama | mother |
Π ΠΎΡΡΠΈΡ | Rossiya | Russia |
ΠΊΠ½ΠΈΠ³Π° | kniga | book |
Neuter[edit | edit source]
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
ΠΌΠΎΠ»ΠΎΠΊΠΎ | moloko | milk |
ΠΎΠΊΠ½ΠΎ | okno | window |
Π·Π΄Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ | zdanie | building |
Exceptions and Irregularities[edit | edit source]
As we mentioned earlier, Russian has many exceptions and irregularities in the gender and declension of nouns. Here are some examples:
- Some nouns have the same form in the nominative and accusative cases. For example, ΠΌΡΡΡ (mysh') - mouse; and ΠΊΡΠΏΠ΅ (kupe) - compartment.
- Some feminine and neuter nouns have no ending in the nominative case. For example, ΠΌΠ΅ΡΡΠΎ (metro) - subway; and ΠΌΠΎΡΠ΅ (more) - sea.
- Some masculine and neuter nouns have a zero ending in the accusative case. For example, ΡΠ±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠΎ (yabloko) - apple; and ΠΌΠΎΠ»ΠΎΠΊΠΎ (moloko) - milk.
- Some nouns have hard or soft stem alternations in different cases. For example, ΡΡΠΎΠ» (stol) - table; and Π·ΡΠ± (zub) - tooth.
- Some nouns have irregular declensions that must be memorized. For example, ΡΠ΅Π»ΠΎΠ²Π΅ΠΊ (chelovek) - person; and Π½ΠΎΠΆ (nozh) - knife.
The good news is that most irregular nouns are frequently used in everyday language and therefore easier to remember. Moreover, as you gain more exposure to Russian, you will internalize the patterns and exceptions naturally.
Practice[edit | edit source]
To improve your Russian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions! Here are some exercises you can do to practice Russian nouns:
1. Identify the gender and case of the following nouns: ΠΊΠΎΡ (kot) - cat; ΠΏΠΎΠ³ΠΎΠ΄Π° (pogoda) - weather; ΠΌΠ°ΡΠΈΠ½Π° (mashina) - car; ΠΌΠ°ΠΉΠΊΠ° (mayka) - T-shirt. 2. Choose the correct form of the noun in the following sentences: Π― Π²ΠΈΠ΄Π΅Π» (ΠΊΠΎΡΠΊΠ°/ΠΊΠΎΡΠ°) Π½Π° ΡΠ»ΠΈΡΠ΅. ΠΠΎΡ (ΠΏΠ°ΠΏΠ°/ΠΌΠ°ΠΌΠ°) Π³ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΡΠΈΡ ΠΏΠΎ-ΡΡΠ°Π½ΡΡΠ·ΡΠΊΠΈ. Π£ ΠΌΠ΅Π½Ρ Π½Π΅Ρ (ΡΡΡΠΊΠ°/ΡΡΡΠΊΠΈ) Π΄Π»Ρ Π½Π°ΠΏΠΈΡΠ°Π½ΠΈΡ. 3. Create your own sentences using different cases and nouns. Share them with a friend or a tutor. 4. Read Russian books, watch Russian movies, or listen to Russian music to immerse yourself in the language and culture.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Russian grammar - Wikipedia
- Cases of Russian Nouns - Russian Language
- The 6 Cases in Russian Grammar
β‘ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
β‘ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. π
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Very important rules
- Punctuation
- Pronouns
- To and ΠΆΠ΅ particles in Russian
- Perfective Imperfective
- Future Tense
- Questions
- Adjectives
- Negation
- Common Mistakes