Appendix:Russian nouns

Russian noun declension

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

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

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

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

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

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 уши́б себе́ па́лец молотко́м.	Ja ušíb 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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

Declension of газе́та (inan fem-form hard-stem accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	газе́та gazéta	газе́ты gazéty
genitive	газе́ты gazéty	газе́т gazét
dative	газе́те gazéte	газе́там gazétam
accusative	газе́ту gazétu	газе́ты gazéty
instrumental	газе́той, газе́тою gazétoj, gazétoju	газе́тами gazétami
prepositional	газе́те gazéte	газе́тах gazétax

Examples:
газе́та (gazéta)

рабо́та (rabóta)

сестра́ (sestrá)

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:

Declension of кни́га (inan fem-form velar-stem accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	кни́га kníga	кни́ги knígi
genitive	кни́ги knígi	кни́г kníg
dative	кни́ге kníge	кни́гам knígam
accusative	кни́гу knígu	кни́ги knígi
instrumental	кни́гой, кни́гою knígoj, knígoju	кни́гами knígami
prepositional	кни́ге kníge	кни́гах knígax

Examples:
кни́га (kníga)

копе́йка (kopéjka)

Feminine nouns in -я follow these soft patterns:

3. Soft feminine case endings:

Declension of ня́ня (anim fem-form soft-stem accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	ня́ня njánja	ня́ни njáni
genitive	ня́ни njáni	ня́нь njánʹ
dative	ня́не njáne	ня́ням njánjam
accusative	ня́ню njánju	ня́нь njánʹ
instrumental	ня́ней, ня́нею njánej, njáneju	ня́нями njánjami
prepositional	ня́не njáne	ня́нях njánjax

Examples:
исто́рия (istórija)

неде́ля (nedélja)

ня́ня (njánja)

Second declension

1. Hard masculine case endings:

Declension of вид (inan masc-form hard-stem accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	ви́д víd	ви́ды vídy
genitive	ви́да vída	ви́дов vídov
dative	ви́ду vídu	ви́дам vídam
accusative	ви́д víd	ви́ды vídy
instrumental	ви́дом vídom	ви́дами vídami
prepositional	ви́де víde	ви́дах vídax
partitive	ви́ду vídu
locative	виду́ vidú

Examples:
вид (vid)

журна́л (žurnál)

оте́ц (otéc)

стол (stol)

2. Hard neuter case endings:

Declension of блю́до (inan neut-form hard-stem accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	блю́до bljúdo	блю́да bljúda
genitive	блю́да bljúda	блю́д bljúd
dative	блю́ду bljúdu	блю́дам bljúdam
accusative	блю́до bljúdo	блю́да bljúda
instrumental	блю́дом bljúdom	блю́дами bljúdami
prepositional	блю́де bljúde	блю́дах bljúdax

Examples:
блю́до (bljúdo)

жили́ще (žilíšče)

окно́ (oknó)

письмо́ (pisʹmó)

учи́лище (učílišče)

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:

Declension of уро́к (inan masc-form velar-stem accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	уро́к urók	уро́ки uróki
genitive	уро́ка uróka	уро́ков urókov
dative	уро́ку uróku	уро́кам urókam
accusative	уро́к urók	уро́ки uróki
instrumental	уро́ком urókom	уро́ками urókami
prepositional	уро́ке uróke	уро́ках urókax

Examples:
бог (box) (irregular pronunciation in the nominative singular)

каранда́ш (karandáš)

нож (nož)

това́рищ (továrišč)

уро́к (urók)

Masculine nouns that end in -й or -ь, neuter nouns in -е follow these soft patterns.

4. Soft masculine case endings:

Declension of апре́ль (inan masc-form soft-stem accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	апре́ль aprélʹ	апре́ли apréli
genitive	апре́ля aprélja	апре́лей aprélej
dative	апре́лю aprélju	апре́лям apréljam
accusative	апре́ль aprélʹ	апре́ли apréli
instrumental	апре́лем aprélem	апре́лями apréljami
prepositional	апре́ле apréle	апре́лях apréljax

Examples:
апре́ль (aprélʹ)

геро́й (gerój)

день (denʹ)

слова́рь (slovárʹ)

слу́чай (slúčaj)

учи́тель (učítelʹ)

чай (čaj)

5. Soft neuter case endings:

Declension of уче́ние (inan neut-form i-stem accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	уче́ние učénije	уче́ния učénija
genitive	уче́ния učénija	уче́ний učénij
dative	уче́нию učéniju	уче́ниям učénijam
accusative	уче́ние učénije	уче́ния učénija
instrumental	уче́нием učénijem	уче́ниями učénijami
prepositional	уче́нии učénii	уче́ниях učénijax

Examples:
мо́ре (móre)

по́ле (póle)

уче́ние (učénije)

Third declension

Feminine nouns in -ь belong to the third declension:

Declension of боль (inan fem-form 3rd-decl accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	бо́ль bólʹ	бо́ли bóli
genitive	бо́ли bóli	бо́лей bólej
dative	бо́ли bóli	бо́лям bóljam
accusative	бо́ль bólʹ	бо́ли bóli
instrumental	бо́лью bólʹju	бо́лями bóljami
prepositional	бо́ли bóli	бо́лях bóljax

Examples:
дверь (dverʹ)

ло́шадь (lóšadʹ)

Declension tables

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:
1. 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
2. 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
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