What to Know About the Genitive Case in Russian

The Russian language is complex and uses various declensions for nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and even numerals. With six different cases, mastering conjugation can be an uphill battle that requires a ton of practice. Although it can seem overwhelming at first, you just need to take things step by step. That includes going over each of the Russian cases individually so you can slowly start to combine them and create more complex sentences. Here, we'll provide you with a comprehensive guide to the Russian genitive case and plenty of examples to help you see how it's used.

What is the Russian Genitive Case?

The genitive case in Russian is primarily used to indicate possession in a sentence or origin (where someone is from). It answers the questions of whose, of what, and from where. Typically, in English, an apostrophe followed by an "s" is used to indicate possession, but in Russian, the end of the word changes. There are other instances when you would use the Russian genitive case, such as after certain verbs and prepositions, to talk about indefinite quantities, negate possession, and with certain cardinal numbers.

Sometimes, the connection between parts of a sentence that would signify the genitive case isn't as clear as they are in English, so it's best to just keep practicing and breaking down sentences to help with clarification. As with any Russian case changes, there are a few exceptions to the rules.

Noun Endings in Genitive Singular

In the Russian genitive case, nouns in the nominative case change their endings depending on gender and number. While the changes in the accusative case only apply to animate nouns, all noun endings change in the genitive case. 

For masculine nouns, the following changes occur:

• Consonants > consonant + а
• й ending > я
• ь ending > я

For neuter nouns, the following changes occur: 

• о ending > а
• е ending > я
• мя ending > мени

For feminine nouns, the following changes occur:

• а ending > ы
• я ending > и
• ь ending > и

Noun Endings in Genitive Plural

Plural Russian nouns will also need to change for the genitive case. These changes depend on the gender of the noun, as demonstrated below.

For masculine plural nouns, the following changes occur:

• Consonants > consonant + ов
• й ending > ев
• ь ending > ей

For neuter plural nouns, the following changes occur: 

• о ending > -
• е ending > ей
• ие ending > ий

For feminine plural nouns, the following changes occur:

• а ending > -
• я ending > ь
• ия ending > ий
• ь ending > ей

Examples of the Russian Genitive Case with Some Basic Sentences

To help you get the hang of using the genitive case in Russian, consider some of the following examples within each gender. We'll start with some basic sentences to make it easier to identify the various parts. 

Examples of Masculine Nouns in the Russian Genitive Case

• Книга Ивана на столе. — Ivan's book is on the table.
• Он восхищается умом Петра. — He admires Peter's intelligence.
• Она попросила помощи Алексея. — She asked for Alexei's help.
• Машина Дмитрия припаркована снаружи. — The car of Dmitry is parked outside.
• Мы обсудили идею Сергея тщательно. — We discussed Sergei's idea thoroughly.

Examples of Neuter Nouns in the Russian Genitive Case

• Хвост кота пушистый. — The cat's tail is fluffy.
• Она восхищалась нежными лепестками цветка. — She admired the flower's delicate petals.
• Он купил игрушку ребенка. — He bought the child's toy.
• Миска щенка пуста. — The puppy's bowl is empty.
• Они посетили экспозицию музея. — They visited the museum's exhibit.

Examples of Feminine Nouns in the Genitive Case in Russian

• Платье Марии красивое. — Maria's dress is beautiful.
• Она восхищалась картиной Анны. — She admired Anna's painting.
• Он купил подарок Ольги. — He bought Olga's gift.
• Шерсть кошки мягкая. — The cat's fur is soft.
• Они посетили дом Наталии. — They visited Natalia's house.

Examples of Plural Nouns in Russian Genitive Form

• Тетради студентов на столе. — The students' notebooks are on the desk.
• Они восхищались яркими цветами цветов. — They admired the flowers' vibrant colors.
• Мы обсуждали проект мальчиков. — We discussed the boys' project.
• Смех девочек разносился по комнате. — The girls' laughter echoed through the room.
• Он восхищался силой женщин. — He admired the women's strength.
• Они наслаждались компанией собак. — They enjoyed the dogs' company.
• Хвосты кошек махали, когда они шли. — The cats' tails swayed as they walked.
• Она ценила пение птиц. — She appreciated the birds' singing.
• Стойла лошадей были чистыми и аккуратными. — The horses' stable was clean and tidy.
• Они посетили фабрику рабочих. — They visited the workers' factory.

How to Use the Genitive Case in Russian Grammar

The genitive case in Russian grammar is primarily used to talk about possession, but there are a few other instances where you'll need to change word endings accordingly. This list can seem overwhelming, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be one step closer to speaking fluently. To help you get real-world practice, download Tandem and match with a native Russian speaker today.

To Negate Possession

You'll also use the genitive case in Russian when you want to negate possession or say that something does not belong to someone/something. For example:

• У меня нет машины. - I don't have a car.
• У него нет дома в этом городе. - He doesn't have a house in this city.
• У них нет кошки. - They don't have a cat.

To Indicate Absence

When you learn Russian, you'll find that the genitive case is used to indicate the absence of something. So, if you have no time, no money, or no patience, the genitive will become your new best friend. Some examples include: 

• В комнате нет людей. - There are no people in the room.
• На столе нет еды. - There is no food on the table.
• В парке нет детей. - There are no children in the park.

To Speak About Indefinite Quantities

When talking about indefinite quantities like "a lot of" or "a few," you'll use the Russian genitive case. This means that anytime you don't have a specific number or just want to use a general quantity, you'll use the genitive form, as shown in the examples below.

• У меня много дел на этой неделе. - I have a lot of tasks this week.
• Он купил немного фруктов в магазине. - He bought a few fruits at the store.
• У неё мало опыта в этой области. - She has little experience in this field.
• Мы потратили немало времени на подготовку к экзамену. - We spent quite a lot of time preparing for the exam.
• Они прочитали несколько книг за лето. - They read several books over the summer.
• У него недостаточно денег на покупку нового автомобиля. - He doesn't have enough money to buy a new car.
• Скажи мне, сколько у тебя времени на подготовку? - Tell me, how much time do you have for preparation?

After Certain Russian Verbs

As with the accusative and dative cases in Russian, the genitive case has a few verbs that you need to memorize. The most common Russian verbs that require a genitive partner and a few examples of how they're used include:

Просить (to ask/request)

• Я просил помощи у друга. - I asked for help from a friend.

Хотеть (to want)

• Он хочет свободы. - He wants freedom.

Радоваться (to rejoice)

• Они радуются успехам своего сына. - They rejoice in their son's success.

Требовать (to demand)

• Работа требует труда и усилий. - The job demands work and effort.

Искать (to search)

• Мы ищем ключей по всему дому. - We are looking for keys all over the house.

Ждать (to wait)

• Она ждет почты с важными новостями. - She is waiting for mail with important news.

Ожидать (to expect)

• Мы ожидаем приезда родственников. - We expect the arrival of relatives.

Достигать (to achieve/reach)

• Он достиг цели благодаря упорному труду. - He achieved his goal through hard work.

Желать (to wish)

• Я желаю тебе удачи на экзамене. - I wish you luck on your exam.

Бояться (to fear)

• Она боится темноты. - She is afraid of the dark.

Ненавидеть (to hate)

• Он ненавидит лживых людей. - He hates dishonest people.

After Certain Russian Prepositions

You'll also use the Russian genitive case with a number of prepositions. There will always be a few exceptions, but memorizing the following list will give you a good starting point. 

без (without)

• Без денег не смогу поехать. - Without money, I won't be able to go.

кроме (except for)

• Я купил все продукты, кроме молока. - I bought all the groceries, except for milk.

из (from)

• Он вышел из дома. - He went from home.

из-за (because of)

• Он опоздал из-за пробок. - He was late because of the traffic jams.

около (near)

• Дом находится около парка. - The house is located near the park.

вокруг (around)

• Она гуляла вокруг озера. - She walked around the lake.

с... до... (from... till...)

• Магазин работает с понедельника до субботы. - The store is open from Monday till Saturday.

до (before)

• Он ушел до обеда. - He left before lunch.

во время (during)

• Мы поспорили во время обеда. - We argued during lunch.

после (after)

• Она пришла после работы. - She came after work.

для (for)

• Это подарок для тебя. - This is a gift for you.

кроме (except; apart from)

• Все согласились кроме него. - Everyone agreed except him.

против (against)

• Он голосует против предложения. - He's voting against the proposal.

напротив (opposite)

• Дом находится напротив парка. - The house is located opposite the park.

вместо (instead of)

• Он взял пиццу вместо пасты. - He took pizza instead of pasta.

возле (near, by)

• Магазин находится возле станции метро. - The store is located near the metro station.

вне (outside of)

• Они играют вне дома. - They play outside of the house.

возле (beside)

• Он сидел возле окна. - He sat beside the window.

With Two, Three, and Four

In Russian, the genitive case is always used after the numbers two, three, and four and any compounds that include them (e.g., 12, 53, 84). After the number one, you'll use the nominative case. Here are some examples with the genitive numerals.

• У меня есть два друга. - I have two friends.
• Она купила три платья. - She bought three dresses.
• В коробке лежат четыре книги. - There are four books in the box.

How to Practice the Russian Genitive Case

Download Tandem today to connect with native speakers and practice using the Russian genitive case today. With millions of members worldwide, you can easily match with a native speaker of your target language from anywhere in the world. Having real 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.