Everything You Need to Know About the Instrumental Case in Russian

Learning Russian can be a tricky endeavor, but if you've made it this far, you're in for a treat. The Russian instrumental case is one of the easier ones you'll learn. It's pretty straightforward when compared to other cases, but still essential for your language learning journey! So, to keep chipping away at learning the Russian language, here's an introductory guide to the instrumental case and when to use it.

What is the Russian Instrumental Case?

The Russian instrumental case is used to talk about "with what," "with who," and "how." It identifies the means or instruments used to perform the action of a sentence. It can also identify the subject in passive sentences, among other unique applications. 

Singular Noun Endings in the Russian Instrumental Case

The noun endings for the instrumental case will change based on their form in the Russian nominative case. The following are used for nouns and pronouns in their singular form.

For masculine nouns, the following changes occur:

• Consonants > consonant + ом
• й ending > ем ь ending > ем

For neuter nouns, the following changes occur: 

• о ending > o + м
• е ending > e + м
• мя ending > менем

For feminine nouns, the following changes occur:

• а ending > ой
• я ending > ей
• ь ending > ь + ю

Plural Noun Endings in the Russian Instrumental Case

Plural noun endings are also different in the Russian instrumental case depending on noun endings. So, for masculine, neuter, and feminine plural nouns, the changes are as follows:

• Consonants > consonant + ами
• а ending > ами
• о ending > ами
• й ending > ями
• ь ending > ями
• е ending > ями
• яe nding > ями

Examples of the Russian Instrumental Case with Basic Sentences

To help you identify the changes made in the Russian instrumental case, consider some of the following examples based on gender. We'll start with a few basic sentences to make it easier to identify the different parts of the sentence.

Examples of Masculine Nouns in the Russian Instrumental Case

• Я иду с другом в кино. - I am going to the cinema with a friend.
• Мы пишем эссе ручкой. - We are writing the essay with a pen.
• Парень едет в город велосипедом. - The guy is going to the city by bicycle.
• Он играет на гитаре медиатором. - He is playing the guitar with a pick.
• Мужчина режет хлеб ножом. - The man is cutting bread with a knife.

Examples of Neuter Nouns in the Russian Instrumental Case

• Ребенок играет с мячом во дворе. - The child is playing with a ball in the yard.
• Мы читаем книгу на русском. - We are reading a book in Russian.
• Я пью чай с лимоном. - I am drinking tea with lemon.
• Девочка играет с котенком во дворе. - The girl is playing with a kitten in the yard.
• Я слежу за временем с помощью часов. — I am keeping time with a watch.

Examples of Feminine Nouns in the Instrumental Case in Russian

• Мы разговариваем с учительницей после урока. - We are talking with the teacher after the lesson.
• Девочка играет с куклой в своей комнате. - The girl is playing with a doll in her room.
• Я пью чай с ложкой. - I am drinking tea with a spoon.
• Девушка рисует картину кистью. - The girl is painting a picture with a brush.
• Он идет по улице с собакой. - He is walking along the street with a dog.

Examples of Plural Nouns in Instrumental Genitive Form

• Она приготовила салат с огурцами. - She made a salad with cucumbers.
• Он играет в шахматы фигурами. - He is playing chess with pieces.
• Он читает книгу очками. - He is reading a book with glasses.
• Он плавает в бассейне плавками. - He is swimming in the pool with swim trunks.
• Мальчик играет в футбол бутсами. - The boy is playing football with cleats.

When the Russian Instrumental Case is Used

As mentioned, the Russian instrumental case is primarily used to identify the means or instruments that are used to perform an action. To help you practice all of the different ways to include the instrumental case, download Tandem and match with a native Russian speaker today. There are also a few unique circumstances that trigger the instrumental case, as demonstrated in the following section.

To Show Means or Tools of an Action

The primary purpose of the instrumental case in Russian is to identify the tool, instrument or means with which an action is performed. This answers the questions, "By what?" or "With what?" For example, when if you wanted to say that you brush your hair with a comb, you'd need to use the instrumental case. Some examples of this usage include the following:

• Я открываю банку открывалкой. - I am opening a can with a can opener.
• Она нарезала помидоры ножом. - She was slicing tomatoes with a knife.
• Она рисует картину кистью. - She is painting a picture with a brush.

To Indicate Agency or Performance of an Action

The Russian instrumental case is also used to indicate the agent or performer of an action or express company. This answers the questions, "By who?" or "With who?" For example, if you wanted to say that you went to the park with Sophia, you'd use the Russian instrumental case. Some other examples of this include: 

• Я ходила в кино с подругой. - I went to the movie with my friend.
• Я ужинала с моим парнем. - I ate dinner with my boyfriend.
• Они отправились на прогулку с собакой. - They went on a walk with their dog.

With Some Measurements

If you need to describe an action as a quantity, you can also use the Russian instrumental case. For example, if you wanted to say that the oil was carried by the barrel, you'd use the instrumental case. When adhering to this rule, the nouns will always be in their plural form. Some examples include:

• Дождь лил целыми ведрами. - The rain was coming down in buckets.
• Бумаги приходили пачками. - The papers came in bundles.
• Воду носили бочками. - The water was carried by the barrelful. 

In Certain Expressions and Idioms

You'll want to use the instrumental case in Russian with certain expressions and idioms. Like Russian slang words, you'll need to memorize these specific examples, as they're kind of considered exceptions to the overall "rule." However, you'll likely be able to see why the instrumental case was chosen over the Russian dative case or Russian accusative case. Check out the following expressions and idioms in the Russian instrumental case below:

• Бить ключом - To drive someone crazy (literally: to beat with a key)
• Пить воду со льдом - To be on bad terms with someone (literally: to drink water with ice)
• сделать морду кирпичом - To have a poker face (literally: to make a brick face)

To Describe Moments in Time

The Instrumental case in Russian is commonly used to depict a moment in time that's described with words rather than numbers. For example, if you want to say that you did something in the afternoon or early Friday morning, you'd use this case. Some examples of this include:

• Я собираюсь в магазин в пятницу утром. - I am going to the store on Friday morning.
• Солнце садится ранним вечером. - The sun sets in the early evening.
• Мне нужно уехать во второй половине дня в субботу. - I need to leave in the afternoon on Saturday.

With Certain Verbs

As with all of the different Russian cases, there are some verbs that signal the use of the instrumental case. Based on the general usage of the instrumental case in Russian, many of these verbs are predictable. Some, however, you'll need to memorize. The most common verbs that take the Russian instrumental case include the following:

быть (to be)

• Я собираюсь стать врачом. - I am going to be a doctor.

заниматься (to do)

• Мы занимаемся ремонтом квартиры инструментами. - We are doing apartment repairs with tools.

Пользоваться (to use)

• Студенты пользуются библиотекой для изучения литературы. - Students use the library for studying literature.

Интересоваться (to be interested in something)

• Мария интересуется искусством и красивыми картинами. - Maria is interested in art with beautiful paintings.

Гордиться (to be proud of)

• Он гордится спортивными достижениями своего сына. - He is proud of his son's sports achievements.

Командовать (to command)

• Капитан командует кораблем мощным голосом. - The captain commands the ship with a powerful voice.

Управлять (to control)

• Он управляет компанией с помощью смартфона.- He controls the company with a smartphone.

Руководить (to manage/to lead)

• Директор руководит проектом тщательным анализом. - The director manages the project with careful analysis.

With Certain Prepositions

Several different prepositions of place will also use the Russian instrumental case. We've already seen how "с" is used, but there are a few others that you'll want to be familiar with. Some of the most common of these include the following: 

с (with)

• Мы готовим обед с мамой. - We are preparing lunch with mom.

Рядом (alongside, next to)

• Девочка гуляет по парку рядом с собакой. - The girl is walking in the park alongside the dog.

над (above)

• Облака плывают над горами. - Clouds are floating above the mountains.

Под (under)

• Кот спит под кроватью. - The cat is sleeping under the bed.

Между (between)

• Мяч застрял между деревом и стеной. - The ball got stuck between the tree and the wall.

Перед (In front of, before)

• Она стоит перед зеркалом и делает макияж. - She is standing in front of the mirror and doing makeup.

За (Behind, after)

• Она закрыла дверь за собой. - She closed the door after herself.

Practice the Russian Instrumental Cases with Real Conversations

Once you understand the Russian nominative case, you can slowly start to build your expertise with additional cases like the instrumental case! While it can be tricky to differentiate these at first, with some practice, memorization, and communication, things will slowly start to stick. 

To help you make the most out of your Russian case knowledge, download Tandem today. Tandem allows you to connect with native speakers and practice using the Russian instrumental case in everyday conversations. With millions of members worldwide, you can match with a Russian speaker regardless of where you are. Having real-world conversations with like-minded individuals will help you build your skills, from basic Russian pronunciation to Russian swear words and everything in between. Who knows, you might even make some lifelong friends along the way! All you need to do is create a profile, match with a native speaker of your target language, and start communicating. Sign up for Tandem today to join our community and improve your fluency.