« Accusative Case (Винительный Падеж)

When to Use the Accusative Case

• Direct Objects: Used for the noun or pronoun that is the direct object of a verb, i.e., the entity that receives the action.
  • Example: Я вижу собаку. (I see the dog.)
  • Example: Он купил машину. (He bought a car.)
• Motion Toward: Used with prepositions to indicate motion towards something, particularly with в (in/into) and на (on/onto).
  • Example: Я иду в парк. (I am going to the park.)
  • Example: Она положила книгу на стол. (She placed the book on the table.)
• Duration of Time: Indicates the duration of an action.
  • Example: Он учил русский язык весь день. (He studied Russian all day.)

Accusative Case Endings

The accusative case varies based on the gender, number, and animacy of the noun. Below is a breakdown of typical endings:

Singular Nouns:

• Masculine:
  • Inanimate: No change from the nominative case (e.g., я вижу стол - I see the table).
  • Animate: For nouns ending in a consonant, add -а (e.g., я вижу друга - I see the friend).
  • Animate: For nouns ending in -й or -ь, use -я (e.g., я вижу героя - I see the hero).
• Feminine:
  • For nouns ending in -а, use -у (e.g., я вижу книгу - I see the book).
  • For nouns ending in -я, use -ю (e.g., я вижу неделю - I see the week).
  • For nouns ending in -ь, the ending remains unchanged (e.g., я вижу дочь - I see the daughter).
• Neuter:
  • Inanimate neuter nouns typically remain unchanged (e.g., я вижу окно - I see the window). Nearly all neuter nouns are inanimate, so any exceptions should be memorized.

Plural Nouns:

• Inanimate: The form is the same as the nominative plural (e.g., я вижу столы - I see the tables).
• Animate: Takes the form of the genitive plural (e.g., я вижу друзей - I see the friends).

Adjective Endings:

Adjectives in the accusative case must agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and animacy:

• Masculine Singular:
  • Inanimate: Ends in -ый, -ий, or -ой (e.g., новый стол - the new table).
  • Animate: Ends in -ого or -его (e.g., нового друга - the new friend).
• Feminine Singular: Ends in -ую or -юю (e.g., новую книгу - the new book).
• Neuter Singular: Remains the same as the nominative (e.g., новое окно - the new window).
• Plural:
  • Inanimate: Ends in -ые or -ие (e.g., новые столы - the new tables).
  • Animate: Ends in -ых or -их (e.g., новых друзей - the new friends).

Pronouns in the Accusative Case

• Me: меня
• You (singular, informal): тебя
• Him/It: его
• Her: её
• Us: нас
• You (plural or formal): вас
• Them: их

Additional Notes

• Adjective Agreement: Adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, case, and animacy.
  • Example: Я вижу красный дом. (I see the red house.)
• Special Cases: Some verbs and prepositions always require the accusative case, such as любить (to love), ждать (to wait for), за (behind), and через (across).
  • Example: Она ждала тебя. (She was waiting for you.)
  • Example: Он прыгнул через забор. (He jumped over the fence.)