« Genitive Case (Родительный Падеж)

When to Use the Genitive Case

• Possession: The genitive case shows that something belongs to someone or something.
  • Example: Книга студента. (The student's book.)
  • Example: Ключ от дома. (The key to the house.)
• Quantity: Used with numbers and expressions of quantity.
  • Example: Три яблока. (Three apples.)
  • Example: Много времени. (A lot of time.)
• Negation: Often used after a negated verb.
  • Example: У меня нет денег. (I don't have money.)
  • Example: Он не сказал ни слова. (He didn't say a word.)
• After Prepositions: Some prepositions always require the genitive case.
  • Example: Для тебя. (For you.)
  • Example: Из Москвы. (From Moscow.)
  • Example: Вокруг дома. (Around the house.)
• Partitive Genitive: Used to express a part of a whole or an indefinite quantity.
  • Example: Чашка чая. (A cup of tea.)
  • Example: Кусок хлеба. (A piece of bread.)

Genitive Case Endings

The genitive case has specific endings depending on the gender and number of the noun:

Singular Nouns:

• Masculine:
  • For nouns ending in a consonant, add -а (e.g., студент → студента - of the student).
  • If the noun ends in -й or -ь, replace it with -я (e.g., герой → героя - of the hero, день → дня - of the day).
• Feminine:
  • If the noun ends in -а and the stem does not end in a velar or husher, replace it with -ы (e.g., мама → мамы - of the mother).
  • If the noun ends in -а after a velar or husher, replace it with -и (e.g., книга → книги - of the book).
  • If the noun ends in -я or -ь, replace it with -и (e.g., дверь → двери - of the door, неделя → недели - of the week).
• Neuter:
  • If the noun ends in -о, replace it with -а (e.g., окно → окна - of the window).
  • If the noun ends in -е, replace it with -я (e.g., поле → поля - of the field), unless the previous letter is a husher or ц (replace it with -а).
  • If the noun ends in -мя, replace it with -ени (e.g., время → времени - of the time).

Plural Nouns:

• Masculine:
  • For nouns ending in -ь or a husher, add -ей (e.g., нож → ножей - of the knives).
  • For nouns ending in -й or -ц (stressed), add -ев (e.g., ключ → ключей - of the keys).
  • For all other masculine nouns, add -ов (e.g., дом → домов - of the houses).
• Feminine:
  • For nouns ending in -а, drop the ending (e.g., собака → собак - of the dogs).
  • If the noun ends in a consonant followed by -я, replace it with -ь (e.g., неделя → недель - of the weeks).
  • If the noun ends in a vowel followed by -я, replace it with -й (e.g., семья → семей - of the families).
  • If the noun ends in -ь, replace it with -ей (e.g., дверь → дверей - of the doors).
• Neuter:
  • For nouns ending in -о, drop the ending (e.g., яблоко → яблок - of the apples).
  • If the noun ends in -е, replace it with -ей (e.g., море → морей - of the seas).
  • If the noun ends in -ие, replace it with -ий (e.g., здание → зданий - of the buildings).

Adjective Endings:

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

• Masculine Singular: Ends in -ого or -его (e.g., нового студента - of the new student).
• Feminine Singular: Ends in -ой or -ей (e.g., новой книги - of the new book).
• Neuter Singular: Ends in -ого or -его (e.g., нового окна - of the new window).
• Plural: Ends in -ых or -их (e.g., новых книг - of the new books).

Reference Spelling Rule 1 for plural adjectives and Spelling Rule 3 for masculine singular and neuter singular adjectives.

For feminine singular adjectives, the choice between -ой/-ей is based on whether the stem ends in a soft consonant.

Pronouns in the Genitive Case

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