A Brief Overview of Russian Cases

At first, Russian can seem a bit intimidating because of its alphabet and pronunciation. However, learning the Russian language also requires mastering Russian grammar, which can be even more confusing. The grammatical cases Russian learners need to memorize and understand how to apply are often the most challenging aspects of becoming fluent. But, with the right tools, it is possible to speak Russian like a pro. To help you ease into using Russian cases, we've put together a brief overview of the different ones, including grammar rules for each.

How Many Cases in the Russian Language?

The Russian case system has six different cases, which help indicate the function of the noun in a sentence. They help categorize nouns and their modifiers—adjectives, participles, numerals, and determiners. Russian cases help keep sentences organized and ensure they actually make sense in conversation. Since the relationship between words is based on their endings, Russian cases also give you some flexibility with word order in different phrases.

Russian adjectives and numerals also need to agree with Russian nouns, they also change based on the case. Similarly, possessive pronouns and personal pronouns can vary depending on each case, but that's a lesson for another time. 

What Are the 6 Cases in Russian?

Four of the Russian cases are the same as the German case system, but there are also two extra you need to be familiar with when learning Russian. This can be a bit difficult for native English speakers, but by practicing with a native Russian speaker, you'll get the hang of it in no time. To help, download Tandem today to practice grammatical speaking skills.

Nominative Case

The nominative case in Russian identifies who the subject of a sentence is or who is performing the action. The nominative case answers the question, who? or what? This is the form of a noun that you'll find when you look in the dictionary, but it can change when it becomes plural. Because of this, there are four different "types" of nominative nouns: masculine, feminine, neuter, and plural nouns.

Masculine nouns in the Russian nominative case end in a consonant. Neuter nouns in the Russian nominative case end in –o or –e.  Feminine nouns in the Russian nominative case end in –а or –я. Plural nouns in the Russian nominative case end in –и or –ы.

Some examples of words and phrases with nominative nouns include:

• Кот спит на подоконнике. — The cat is sleeping on the windowsill.
• Мой друг - отличный студент. — My friend is an excellent student.
• Роза красиво цветет в саду. — The rose is blooming beautifully in the garden.
• Солнце светит ярко на небе. — The sun is shining brightly in the sky.
• Я люблю читать книги. Книга - мой лучший друг. — I love reading books. A book is my best friend.

Accusative Case

The accusative case in Russian identifies the direct object of a sentence or what's being "verbed." The direct object is essentially the "target" of a verb or what's being done. It answers the question, whom? or what (of target verb)? The accusative case is also used with certain prepositions (‘в’ (v) and ‘на’ (an)) to show direction. Some examples include:

• Я вижу кота. — I see a cat.
• Мама готовит обед. — Mom is cooking lunch.
• Он купил новые ботинки. — He bought new shoes.
• Мы читаем интересную книгу. — We are reading an interesting book.
• Дети любят мороженое. — Children love ice cream.

There is an exception to this rule, however. If the direct object in a sentence is masculine and alive or animate, it needs to be declined into the genitive case. We'll cover this in more depth in another lesson.

Dative Case

The dative case in Russian is used to identify the indirect object. It indicates that something is given or addressed to the object. It answers the question, to whom? or to what? Sometimes, the dative Russian case answers the question, to where? if a specific preposition is used (к — to or towards). Some examples include: 

• Я дал подарок своему другу. — I gave a gift to my friend.
• Мама приготовила обед детям. — Mom cooked lunch for the children.
• Он помог студенту с уроками. — He helped the student with the lessons.
• Она отправила письмо своей бабушке. — She sent a letter to her grandmother
• Дайте мне пожалуйста соль. — Give some salt to me, please.

Genitive Case

The genitive case in Russian is used to show possession in a sentence. It answers the question, whose? or of what? It's the case that's used just like the 's in English. Some examples include: 

• У меня нет денег. — I don't have money.
• Я купил бутылку воды. — I bought a bottle of water.
• У него нет машины. — He doesn't have a car.
• Мы пишем письмо без ошибок. — We write a letter without mistakes.
• У детей нет игрушек. — The children don't have toys.

The genitive case can also be used with certain prepositional phrases, such as Без (without), У/нету (at, by, with, of, to have/possess), Из-за (because of, due to), Вместо (instead of), От (from, indicating a cause or source), and more.

Instrumental Case

The instrumental case in Russian is used to show the "instrument" used to do or make something. It helps identify what's helping the action that's being done. It answers the question, with whom? or with what? Some examples include:

• Я пишу книгу ручкой. — I am writing the book with a pen.
• Он открыл дверь ключом. — He opened the door with a key.
• Дети играют в парке мячом. — The children are playing in the park with a ball.
• Мы готовим суп кастрюлей. — We are cooking soup with a pot.
• Она поехала в город автобусом. — She went to the city by bus.

The instrumental case can also be used with certain prepositions, such as с (with), над (above), под (below), за (behind), между (between), and перед (in front of).

Prepositional Case

The prepositional case in Russian is used to indicate the location or where an action takes place. It answers the question, about what? about whom? or where? Here, nouns are preceded by a preposition, most commonly в (in), на (on) and о/об (about). Some examples include:

• Я живу в городе. — I live in the city.
• Мы отдыхаем на пляже. — We are relaxing on the beach.
• Кот сидит на столе. — The cat is sitting on the table.
• Мы читаем книгу под деревом. — We are reading a book under the tree.
• Он стоит у двери. — He is standing by the door.

How to Master Russian Cases and Grow Your Vocabulary

There are hundreds of online exercises you can use to practice Russian cases, but it's important to try and stick to the basics at first. Packing in too many grammar rules can cause language learners to get hung up on memorizing them without having a practical approach to using them. Instead, try to learn new Russian words and then create basic sentences with them that incorporate different cases. 

Additionally, one of the best ways to start using Russian case forms as a beginner is to practice speaking with a native! Unfortunately, depending on where you live, you might not know anyone who is a native Russian speaker. That's where Tandem comes in. 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, Russian swear words, and more. 

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.