The Case System Begins
Chapter in 30 Seconds
Unlock the secret to Russian sentence structure by mastering how words change based on their role.
- Identify the subject of a sentence using the Nominative case.
- Transform nouns into the Accusative case to show direct objects.
- Apply case endings to basic Russian nouns.
What You'll Learn
Introduction to the Nominative and Accusative cases. Understanding how nouns change based on their role in a sentence.
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Russian Nominative Case: The Subject (Именительный падеж)Use the Nominative case for the 'doer' of the action and for simply naming people or objects.
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The Accusative Case: Naming Your Target (Винительный падеж)Change feminine endings to -у/-ю and masculine animate to -а/-я to correctly identify the target of your action.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
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By the end you will be able to: correctly identify and use the Nominative and Accusative cases for inanimate objects.
Key Examples (4)
Этот кофе очень вкусный.
This coffee is very tasty.
Russian Nominative Case: The Subject (Именительный падеж)Ты видишь этот пост?
Do you see this post?
The Accusative Case: Naming Your Target (Винительный падеж)Tips & Tricks (2)
The Dictionary Rule
The Pizza Rule
Key Vocabulary (5)
Real-World Preview
In the Library
Review Summary
- Noun (Dictionary form)
- Feminine: -а -> -у
Common Mistakes
You used the nominative instead of the accusative. The book is receiving the action, so it must change.
Actually, masculine inanimate nouns do not change in the accusative. This is correct, but beginners often try to force a change!
Word order matters for clarity, and you missed the subject pronoun.
Rules in This Chapter (2)
Next Steps
You've taken a huge step into the heart of Russian grammar. Keep practicing, and these endings will become second nature!
Label items in your house and write sentences for them.
Quick Practice (6)
Choose the correct way to say 'I know Anna':
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Accusative Case: Naming Your Target (Винительный падеж)
Find and fix the mistake:
Маму готовит ужин.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Russian Nominative Case: The Subject (Именительный падеж)
Identify the correct way to say 'This is my friend'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Russian Nominative Case: The Subject (Именительный падеж)
Эта ___ очень громкая!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Russian Nominative Case: The Subject (Именительный падеж)
Find and fix the mistake:
Я вижу кошка на улице.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Accusative Case: Naming Your Target (Винительный падеж)
Я смотрю (фильм) ___.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: The Accusative Case: Naming Your Target (Винительный падеж)
Score: /6
Common Questions (4)
Кто? (Who?) for people and animals. Use Что? (What?) for inanimate objects and abstract concepts.
