The Nominative Case in Russian Grammar

As we embark on the journey through the intricacies of Russian grammar, our focus today is on the foundation of sentence structure—the nominative case. Delving into the subtle distinctions that govern nouns and pronouns, we will navigate the rules and intricacies that define the subjects of our sentences. So, if you’ve ever wondered what the nominative case in Russian was all about, you’ve come to the right place. Join us as we unravel the layers of the first and most basic Russian case and its role in shaping the structure and clarity of Russian expressions.

What is the Nominative Case in Russian Language?

The Russian nominative case is the basic case used and what the dictionary shows when you look up a word. It identifies the subject of a verb and answers the question who? or what? In Russian, the nominative case can be either independent or dependent.

The independent case is used to identify the subject or as a vocative (a word or sentence used to address someone).

The dependent nominative case can be used to create a predicate (a modifier) or as an additional nominative (noun or pronoun) to help add more information to the sentence.

Russian nouns, adjectives, and pronouns can be masculine, neuter, feminine, or plural. Understanding this is the first step in mastering the Russian cases.

How to Identify Nouns in the Russian Nominative Case

Nouns in Russian nominative cases don’t change their endings, but they do tell you the gender and number. The following cues can help you determine a noun's declension, which is essential for grammatical understanding.

If a Russian noun is masculine, it will have one of three different endings. The endings could be consonants, й, or ь. For example, the following nouns are all masculine:

• Consonant ending: стол — table
• й ending: чай — tea
• ь ending: медведь — bear

If a Russian noun is neuter, it will have one of four endings. The endings could be о, е, ие, or мя. For example, the following nouns are all neuter:

• о ending: окно — window
• е ending: море — sea
• ие ending: здание — building
• мя ending: имя — name

If a Russian noun is feminine, it will have one of five different endings. The endings could be а, я, ия, ь, or ость. For example, the following nouns are all feminine:

• а ending: книга — book
• я ending: дочь — daughter
• ия ending: компания — company
• ь ending: ночь — night
• ость ending: свободность — freedom

You can probably tell that ь is used with both feminine and masculine nouns in the Russian nominative case. Fortunately, this is the only ending that shares a gender. Unfortunately, it means you’ll have to memorize which gender each ь word is.

Plural Russian nouns will change endings in the nominative case, similar to how we add to or change the endings of certain English words.

For masculine nouns, the following changes occur:

• Consonants » consonant + ы — стол (table); столы (tables)
• йending » и — чай (tea); чаи (teas)
• ьending » и — медведь (bear); медведи (bears)

For neuter nouns, the following changes occur:

• оendings » а— окно (window); окна (windows)
• е endings » я — море (sea); моря (seas)
• иеendings » ия — здание (building); здания (buildings)
• мя endings » мена — имя (name); имена (names)

For feminine nouns, the following changes occur:

• а endings » ы — книга (book); книги (books)
• я endings » и — дочь (daughter); дочери (daughters)
• ия endings » ии — компания (company); компании (companies)
• ь endings » и — свободность (freedom); свободности (freedoms)

How to Use the Russian Nominative Case

The nominative case in Russian is used in almost every sentence, as it plays the crucial role of identifying the subject and creates a relationship with the rest of the grammatical components. To help you get the most out of your practice, download Tandem today.

Until then, try to get a feel for identifying the nominative case and subject in a sentence using the following examples for each type of noun.

Examples of the Nominative Case in Russian with Masculine Nouns

Here are a few basic sentences that use masculine nouns in the Russian nominative case:

• Мальчик играет в парке. — The boy is playing in the park.
• Студент изучает иностранные языки. — The student is studying foreign languages.
• Рабочий строит новый дом. — The worker is building a new house.
• Врач лечит пациентов в больнице. — The doctor is treating patients at the hospital.
• Певец выступает на сцене. — The singer is performing on stage.

Examples of the Nominative Case in Russian with Neuter Nouns

Here are some sentences highlighting the use of neuter nouns in the nominative Russian case.

• Молоко на столе поддается. — The milk is on the table.
• Окно открыто. — The window is open.
• Задание выполнено студентом. — The assignment is completed by the student.
• Письмо написано ручкой. — The letter is written with a pen.
• Здание высокое и красивое. — The building is tall and beautiful.

Examples of the Nominative Case in Russian with Feminine Nouns

Below are a few simple sentences that utilize feminine nouns in the nominative case.

• Девушка читает книгу. — The girl is reading a book.
• Учительница объясняет урок. — The teacher (female) is explaining the lesson.
• Машина стоит на парковке. — The car is parked.
• Роза цветет в саду. — The rose is blooming in the garden.
• Сестра готовит обед. — The sister is preparing lunch.

Examples of the Nominative Case in Russian with Plural Nouns

Can you see how the nouns change in the examples below when they’re in their plural form?

• Мальчики играют во дворе. — The boys are playing in the yard.
• Студенты изучают иностранные языки. — The students are studying foreign languages.
• Рабочие строят новый дом. — The workers are building a new house.
• Врачи лечат пациентов в больнице. — The doctors are treating patients at the hospital.
• Цветы красиво распускаются весной. — The flowers are blooming beautifully in spring.

How to Practice the Russian Nominative Case

Understanding the Russian nominative case is your first step in the process of mastering this tricky grammatical maze. While Russian cases can be challenging, they’re also a powerful key to unlocking fluency. While it can seem like a never-ending battle, it's important to stick with it and have a little patience. Learning Russian doesn't happen overnight!

Download Tandem today to connect with native speakers and practice using the Russian accusative case. 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 slang 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.