Language/Russian/Grammar/Nominative-Case

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Russian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Cases and Prepositions → Nominative Case

Introduction

Welcome to the lesson on the nominative case in Russian! The nominative case is one of the most important cases in the Russian language, as it is used for the subject of a sentence. In this lesson, we will learn the basic rules and endings for nouns, adjectives, and pronouns in the nominative case.

The nominative case is the default case for a noun, meaning that it is used when the noun is the subject of a sentence and when there is no preposition indicating a different case. Understanding how to use the nominative case correctly is essential for constructing grammatically correct sentences in Russian.

Let's dive in and explore the rules and endings for the nominative case in Russian!

Nouns in the Nominative Case

In the nominative case, the endings of nouns depend on their gender, number, and whether they are animate or inanimate. Russian nouns can be classified into three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Each gender has its own set of endings in the nominative case.

Masculine Nouns

Masculine nouns in the nominative case typically end in a consonant or a soft sign (ь). Here are the basic rules for forming the nominative case for masculine nouns:

1. If a masculine noun ends in a consonant, the nominative case ending is usually -ъ for singular nouns and -ы for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
мальчик mal'chik boy
мальчики mal'chiki boys

2. If a masculine noun ends in a soft sign (ь), the nominative case ending is usually -й for singular nouns and -и for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
дом dom house
дома doma houses

Keep in mind that there are some exceptions to these rules, and it's important to learn the specific endings for each noun. As you progress in your Russian studies, you will become more familiar with these exceptions.

Feminine Nouns

Feminine nouns in the nominative case typically end in -а or -я for singular nouns and -ы or -и for plural nouns. Here are the basic rules for forming the nominative case for feminine nouns:

1. If a feminine noun ends in -а, the nominative case ending is usually -а for singular nouns and -ы for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
мама ma-ma mother
мамы ma-my mothers

2. If a feminine noun ends in -я, the nominative case ending is usually -я for singular nouns and -и for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
русская rus-ska-ya Russian (feminine)
русские rus-skie Russians (feminine)

Again, there may be exceptions to these rules, so it's important to familiarize yourself with the specific endings for each noun.

Neuter Nouns

Neuter nouns in the nominative case typically end in -о or -е for singular nouns and -а or -я for plural nouns. Here are the basic rules for forming the nominative case for neuter nouns:

1. If a neuter noun ends in -о, the nominative case ending is usually -о for singular nouns and -а for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
окно ok-no window
окна ok-na windows

2. If a neuter noun ends in -е, the nominative case ending is usually -е for singular nouns and -я for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
море mo-re sea
моря mo-rya seas

As always, be aware that there may be exceptions to these rules, so it's important to learn the specific endings for each noun.

Adjectives in the Nominative Case

Adjectives in the nominative case must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. This means that the endings of adjectives change depending on the gender and number of the noun they describe.

The rules for forming the nominative case for adjectives are similar to the rules for nouns. Let's take a look at some examples:

Masculine Adjectives

Masculine adjectives in the nominative case typically end in -ый or -ий for singular nouns and -ые or -ие for plural nouns. Here are the basic rules:

1. If a masculine adjective ends in -ый, the nominative case ending is usually -ый for singular nouns and -ые for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
хороший ho-ro-shiy good
хорошие ho-ro-shi-ye good

2. If a masculine adjective ends in -ий, the nominative case ending is usually -ий for singular nouns and -ие for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
большой bol'-shoy big
большие bol'-shi-ye big

Feminine Adjectives

Feminine adjectives in the nominative case typically end in -ая or -яя for singular nouns and -ые or -ие for plural nouns. Here are the basic rules:

1. If a feminine adjective ends in -ая, the nominative case ending is usually -ая for singular nouns and -ые for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
красивая kra-see-va-ya beautiful
красивые kra-see-vi-ye beautiful

2. If a feminine adjective ends in -яя, the nominative case ending is usually -яя for singular nouns and -ие for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
новая no-va-ya new
новые no-vi-ye new

Neuter Adjectives

Neuter adjectives in the nominative case typically end in -ое or -ее for singular nouns and -ые or -ие for plural nouns. Here are the basic rules:

1. If a neuter adjective ends in -ое, the nominative case ending is usually -ое for singular nouns and -ые for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
хорошее ho-ro-she-e good
хорошие ho-ro-shi-ye good

2. If a neuter adjective ends in -ее, the nominative case ending is usually -ее for singular nouns and -ие for plural nouns.

Example:

Russian Pronunciation English
большее bol'-she-e big
большие bol'-shi-ye big

Remember, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. This means that the endings of adjectives will change depending on the specific noun they are describing.

Pronouns in the Nominative Case

Pronouns, like nouns and adjectives, also have different forms in the nominative case. Here are the basic rules for forming the nominative case for pronouns:

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in the nominative case are used to refer to people or things. Here are the basic forms of personal pronouns in the nominative case:

Russian Pronunciation English
я ya I
ты ty you (singular, informal)
он on he
она a-na she
оно a-no it
мы my we
вы vy you (singular or plural, formal)
они a-ni they

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in the nominative case are used to point out specific people or things. Here are the basic forms of demonstrative pronouns in the nominative case:

Russian Pronunciation English
этот e-tot this (masculine)
эта e-ta this (feminine)
это e-to this (neuter)
эти e-ti these
тот tot that (masculine)
та ta that (feminine)
то to that (neuter)
те te those

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns in the nominative case are used to ask questions. Here are the basic forms of interrogative pronouns in the nominative case:

Russian Pronunciation English
кто kto who
что chto what
какой ka-koy which
какая ka-ka-ya which
какое ka-ko-e which
какие ka-ki-ye which

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in the nominative case are used to show ownership or possession. Here are the basic forms of possessive pronouns in the nominative case:

Russian Pronunciation English
мой moy my (masculine)
моя mo-ya my (feminine)
моё mo-yo my (neuter)
мои mo-i my (plural)
твой tvoi your (singular, informal)
твоя tvo-ya your (singular, informal)
твоё tvo-yo your (singular, informal)
твои tvo-i your (plural)

Again, these are just the basic forms of pronouns in the nominative case. There are additional forms and variations depending on the specific context and usage.

Conclusion

Congratulations on making it through the lesson on the nominative case in Russian! You have learned the basic rules and endings for nouns, adjectives, and pronouns in the nominative case. This knowledge is essential for constructing grammatically correct sentences in Russian.

Remember to practice using the nominative case in your speech and writing to reinforce what you have learned. As you continue your Russian language journey, you will encounter more complex grammar concepts and cases. Stay curious and keep exploring the rich and fascinating world of the Russian language!

Table of Contents - Russian Course - 0 to A1


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

#49 Russian cases - Nominative case, Russian grammar - YouTube

Adjective Agreement in Russian (Nominative) - YouTube

#26 Russian Grammar: cases - nominative, genitive, dative ...


Sources


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