Changing the noun in cases and numbers is a feature of the Russian language, making it one of the most difficult in the world not only for foreigners, but also for native speakers. Let's consider it in more detail.
Introduction to the topic
Many already know that in Russian the ending will change if different questions are asked about the noun (this is the change of the noun by cases):
- Who what? - plate, young, captain, grain, drops, paintings, chimpanzees.
- Whom / What? - plates, youngs, captain, grain, drops, paintings, chimpanzees.
- To whom; to what? - plate, young, captain, grain, drops, paintings, chimpanzees.
- Whom / What? - a plate, young, captain, grain, drops, paintings, chimpanzees.
- Who / What? - a plate, young, captain, grain, drop, paintings, chimpanzees.
- About who about what? - about the plate, about the young, about the captain, about the grain, about the drop, about the paintings, about the chimpanzee.
About how exactly the change of the noun according to the cases is called, the 4th grade will try to learn in the lessons.
Case is the form in which the word appears in the sentence, it is necessary so that it is correctly, smoothly and harmoniously combined with the neighboring word.
Almost every elementary school student knows a funny poem illustrating the change of nouns by cases:
"Somehow with a thin maple branch
Green leaf unhooked .
He flew after the wind
Fly across the wide world.
The head spun
Maple leaf ...
For a long time the wind carried him
Dropped only on the bridge.
At the same hour, a shaggy dog
Sniff - to a beautiful leaf .
Claw a tired sheet ,
Come on, let’s play.
“I won’t go,” parachutist
Shakes his head ...
The wind suddenly with a green leaf ,
Like a tornado, shot up again
But our prankster is tired
And fell into my notebook ...
Compose in the forest under a maple
A song about a sheet of love. "
Such a change in case nouns is called declension.
Nominative
The nominative case is the basic case, opposed to other indirect cases. Its shape is often equal to the root. It is never used with prepositions. The word in the nominative case is one of the two main members of the sentence:
The stone (subject) reliably blocked the entrance to the mysterious cave .
His heart is the hardest stone (predicate).
Genitive
Previously, the genitive case was called "parental". And this is no accident! Its main function was to indicate the degree of kinship between people (father’s daughter, grandmother’s grandson, descendant of the clan). At present, it also denotes a certain connection between the two words (the fate of a woman, the nightingales' voices, the nature of a champion, the income of a company). It can be used both with pretexts and without them (ask the witch, it sparked, demand from the boss, a hut near the sea, a surprise for the pet, wait until the morning, run from the monster).
Dative
Interestingly, this form was originally called the "generous" case, as it denoted the one for whom something is being done. Since then, the significance of the case has expanded (it is sad for an orphan to take revenge on his enemies, to approach the gate, he answered with voices).
Accusative
The accusative case is an indirect case expressing an object, subjective and circumstantial meaning. The difficulty is that this form can sometimes coincide with the form of the genitive or nominative case.
To make sure that the case is accusative, you need to replace the doubtful word with the noun of the first declension.
I clearly see the red sail . I see the mast.
I looked in horror at the lone wolf . I look at dad.
Instrumental
This case was so named because it was used to designate a tool, later other functions appeared (writing with a pen, catching a net, hanging out with friends, laughing at a fool).
Prepositional
By the frequency of use, the prepositional case takes the second place after the nominative, it is always used with prepositions and serves to indicate the time, place and who (or what) is being talked about (in the village, about the benefits, at the monastery, on the square).
To determine the case of a noun without error, you must first find the word on which it depends and with which it is connected. And ask a question from him.
Case Noun Change| Question words | Prepositions | Noun | Case |
| Who what? | | girl, servant, port, field, shadow, parents, highway | Nominative |
| Whom / What? | with, about, for, y, without, from, to, from | near a girl, at the servant, without port, from the field, from the shade, for parents, from the highway | Genitive |
| To whom; to what? | by, to | to the girl, to the servant, to the port, across the field, to the shade, to parents, along the highway | Dative |
| Whom / What? | through, pro, for, on, in, in | for a girl, for a servant, to a port, through a field, about a shadow, for parents, through a highway | Accusative |
| Who / What? | before, between, above, under, for, s, co | in front of a girl, above a servant, behind a port, above a field, under a shadow, behind parents, between a highway | Instrumental |
| About who about what? | with, on, in, about, about | with a girl, about a servant, about a port, on a field, in the shade, about parents, on a highway | Prepositional |
How to remember cases?
In Russian, as many as 6 cases. Everyone has special questions. But to teach them it was not boring, helpers came to the rescue:
Change in cases (declension) of nouns| Case | Question | Helper word | Act |
| Nominative | Who! What? | there is | nod |
| Genitive | Whom? What? | no | negative head shake |
| Dative | To whom? Why? | gave | gesture suggesting to take an imaginary subject |
| Accusative | Whom? What? | love | hand at the heart |
| Instrumental | By whom? Than? | satisfied | hand pretty stroking belly |
| Prepositional | About whom? About what? | dreaming | hand at the head, eyes up |
We study the change of nouns by cases - the Russian language will obey us!
Change of case nouns is called ...
The answer we already know is declination. How many of them and what difficulties can you face? A competent change of nouns by cases will not be difficult if you learn the basic types of declension :
- all feminine nouns (except those ending in a soft sign), masculine nouns;
- masculine, those that in the nominative end in a consonant sound, of the middle gender in -o / e;
- feminine with the end of the word "b".
| Declination | 1 cl. | 2 squ. | 3 squ. |
| Kind | Wives R. | Husband. R. | Husband. R. | Wednesday R. | Wives R |
| Nominative | branch | uncle | temple | window | mouse |
| Genitive | branches | uncles | the temple | window | the mouse |
| Dative | branch | uncle | the temple | the window | the mouse |
| Accusative | a branch | uncle | temple | window | mouse |
| Instrumental | a branch | uncles | the temple | by the window | with the mouse |
| Prepositional | about the branch | about uncle | about the temple | about window | about mouse |
Change of plural nouns
Nouns in the plural do not have a division by type of declension. The case is defined in the same way as in the only case: you just need to ask a question:
- Who what? - teachers, sweets (nominative).
- Whom / What? - teachers, sweets (genitive).
- To whom; to what? - teachers, sweets (dative).
- Whom / What? - teachers, candy (accusative).
- Who / What? - teachers, sweets (instructive).
- About who about what? - about teachers, about sweets (prepositional).
Declined Nouns
In some cases, the change in case nouns occurs without changing the ending:
- coat;
- movie;
- kangaroo;
- cocoa;
- coffee;
- chimpanzees
- pince-nez;
- Hummingbird
- pony;
- relay;
- fillet;
- highway;
- Taxi;
- Metro;
- aloe;
- muffler;
- dressing table;
- Cafe;
- mantle;
- cockatoo;
- dragee;
- bet;
- interview;
- stew;
- jury;
- mashed potatoes;
- the Bureau;
- studio.
These words you just need to remember.