Appendix:Russian nouns
Russian noun declension edit
Conventionally, Russian nouns have six cases: nominative case, genitive case, dative case, accusative case, instrumental case, and prepositional case. However, some nouns retain vestiges of Old Russian vocative case, and some have acquired a partitive-genitive case separate from the genitive and/or a locative case separate from the prepositional.
Nominative case edit
The nominative case is the subject case, and this is considered the basic form of a word:
| We read books. | Мы чита́ем кни́ги. | My čitájem knígi. |
| Maria likes Ivan. | Мари́я лю́бит Ива́на. | Maríja ljúbit Ivána. |
| People speak (in) different languages. | Лю́ди говоря́т на ра́зных языка́х. | Ljúdi govorját na ráznyx jazykáx. |
Genitive case edit
The genitive case is similar to the English possessive case, and it often corresponds to English of or the possessive ending ’s:
| A box of popcorn | Коро́бка попко́рна | Koróbka popkórna |
| A glass of water | Стака́н воды́ | Stakán vodý |
| A mother’s child | Ребёнок ма́тери | Rebjónok máteri |
Dative case edit
The dative case is similar to the English indirect object, and it often corresponds to the words to or towards:
| Give the apple to me. | Отда́й я́блоко мне. | Otdáj jábloko mne. |
| I am going to the teacher. | Я иду́ к учи́телю. | Ja idú k učítelju |
| Helen is walking towards the station. | Еле́на идёт к вокза́лу. | Jeléna idjót k vokzálu. |
| John gives flowers to Anne. | Ива́н даёт цветы́ А́нне. | Iván dajót cvetý Ánne. |
Accusative case edit
The accusative case is like the English direct object, although in some cases describes motion:
| I see the book. | Я ви́жу кни́гу. | Ja vížu knígu. |
| We must buy dinner. | Нам на́до купи́ть у́жин. | Nam nádo kupítʹ úžin. |
| Let’s go into the theatre. | Пойдём в теа́тр. | Pojdjóm v teátr. |
Instrumental case edit
The instrumental case indicates the agent or the instrument of an action, and it often corresponds to English with or by:
| He is with me. | Он со мно́й. | On so mnój. |
| I hit my thumb with the hammer. | Я ушиб себе́ па́лец молотко́м. | Ja ušib sebé pálec molotkóm. |
| They write with pens. | Они́ пи́шут ру́чками. | Oní píšut rúčkami. |
| He sent a letter by post. | Он посла́л письмо́ по́чтой. | On poslál pisʹmó póčtoj. |
Prepositional case edit
The prepositional case always takes a preposition, and it often indicates location:
| The book is on the table. | Кни́га лежи́т на столе́. | Kníga ležít na stolé. |
| I am in the cinema. | Я в кинотеа́тре. | Ja v kinoteátre. |
| I like to read about people. | Мне нра́вится чита́ть о лю́дях. | Mne nrávitsja čitátʹ o ljúdjax. |
Partitive-genitive case edit
The partitive-genitive case, when different from the genitive, means part of something, some of something:
| A cup of tea (some tea) | Ча́шка ча́ю | Čáška čáju |
| A piece of bread (some bread) | Кусо́к хле́ба | Kusók xléba |
Locative case edit
The locative case, when it differs from the prepositional case, indicates location:
| A tree is growing on the bank of the river. | Де́рево растёт на берегу́ реки́. | Dérevo rastjót na beregú rekí. |
Vocative case edit
The vocative case survives in only a few words of a religious nature, and this case marks the person being addressed. In some old writing and in some poetry, this is sometimes indicated with the word "O" or "Oh" in English:
| (Oh) My God! | Бо́же мой! | Bóže moj! |
| God forbid! | Сохрани́ бо́же! | Soxraní bóže! |
| O Lord Jesus! | Го́споди Иису́се! | Góspodi Iisúse! |
In addition, there is a new colloquial vocative case used with some names or family members ending in -а or -я, a so-called "new vocative". It's formed by dropping the final -а or -я, -я is changed to -ь, for example:
| Sasha! | Са́ша | Саш! | Saš! |
| Masha! | Ма́ша | Маш! | Maš! |
| Katya! | Ка́тя | Кать! | Katʹ! |
| Vanya! | Ва́ня | Вань! | Vanʹ! |
| mum! | ма́ма | мам! | mam! |
| dad! | па́па | пап! | pap! |
This is not considered very standard. These forms are normally not included in dictionaries and formally the nominative case is used for this purpose.
Declension paradigms edit
Russian nouns are frequently irregular in declension, and specific declensions may be found in most articles. Listed here are what we consider to be standard regular declensions:
First declension edit
Nouns that end in a hard consonant or the vowels -а or -о are hard and follow these hard patterns:
1. Hard feminine case endings:
N.B.—Nouns that end (after dropping the final vowel in the case of feminines or neuters) in the consonants -г, -к, -х, -ж, -ч, -ш, or -щ are also hard, but they take soft -и instead of -ы in the applicable cases:
2. Hard feminine case endings with -и:
Feminine nouns in -я follow these soft patterns:
3. Soft feminine case endings:
Second declension edit
1. Hard masculine case endings:
2. Hard neuter case endings:
N.B.—Nouns that end (after dropping the final vowel in the case of feminines or neuters) in the consonants -г, -к, -х, -ж, -ч, -ш, or -щ are also hard, but they take soft -и instead of -ы in the applicable cases:
3. Hard masculine case endings with -и:
- Examples:
Masculine nouns that end in -й or -ь, neuter nouns in -е follow these soft patterns.
4. Soft masculine case endings:
- Examples:
5. Soft neuter case endings:
Third declension edit
Feminine nouns in -ь belong to the third declension:
Declension tables edit
The following codes are used in declension tables, in the following order:
- animacy: anim = animate, inan = inanimate, bian = bianimate (can be both animate and inanimate)
- this affects the accusative plural and masculine accusative singular, which are the same as the nominative in inanimates and the genitive in animates
- number restriction: pl-only = plural only (plurale tantum), sg-only = singular only (singulare tantum)
- typical gender: masc-type = typically masculine, fem-type = typically feminine, neut-type = typically neuter
- this refers to the form of the noun, not the actual gender, which in some cases is different
- stem class or declension:
- stem values: hard-stem = ends in a paired hard consonant, soft-stem = ends in a paired soft consonant, velar-stem = ends in к/г/х, sibilant-stem = ends in ш/щ/ч/ж, ц-stem = ends in ц, vowel-stem = ends in a vowel other than и or ends in a palatal (й or ь + vowel), i-stem = ends in и
- this affects the form that various endings take
- other values: 3rd-decl = 3rd-declension noun (feminine in -ь or neuter in -мя), invar = invariable, short poss = short possessive adjectival, mixed poss = mixed possessive adjectival, proper poss = proper-noun possessive adjectival
- all the adjectival variants here have short (noun-like) endings in some of their cases, and the stem generally ends in -ов/ев/ёв or -ин
- stem values: hard-stem = ends in a paired hard consonant, soft-stem = ends in a paired soft consonant, velar-stem = ends in к/г/х, sibilant-stem = ends in ш/щ/ч/ж, ц-stem = ends in ц, vowel-stem = ends in a vowel other than и or ends in a palatal (й or ь + vowel), i-stem = ends in и
- accent specifies the stress pattern: a, b, b', c, d, d', e, f, f', f''
- see Appendix: Russian stress patterns
- more than one is possible
- adj = adjectival (has the endings of an adjective rather than a typical noun)
- reduc = reducible, [reduc] = optionally reducible
- this means that an extra vowel appears before the final stem consonant in the nominative singular and/or genitive plural (specifically, in all endings lacking a vowel)
- irreg = irregular
- most commonly, this refers to an unexpected nominative plural or genitive plural ending, or a special plural stem
