Nouns Russian declension

1 nouns

1.1 first declension
1.2 second declension – masculine nouns
1.3 second declension – virtually entirely neuter nouns
1.4 third declension
1.5 irregular plural forms
1.6 undeclined nouns
1.7 person names

nouns

nominal declension subject 6 cases – nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, , prepositional – in 2 numbers (singular , plural), , absolutely obeying grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, , neuter). ten additional cases identified in linguistics textbooks, although of them either incomplete (do not apply nouns) or degenerate (appear identical 1 of 6 simple cases). recognized additional cases locative (в лесу, в крови, в слезах), partitive (чаю, сахару, коньяку), , several forms of vocative (Господи, Боже, отче). adjectives, pronouns, , first 2 cardinal numbers further vary gender. old russian had third number, dual, has been lost except use in nominative , accusative cases numbers two, 3 , 4 (e.g. два стула [dvɐ ˈstulə], 2 chairs , reanalyzed genitive singular).

russian noun cases replace usage of prepositions in indo-european languages. usage can summarised as:

nominative – “subject” case
accusative – “direct object” case
genitive – corresponding possessive case or “of + (noun)”
dative – corresponding “to + (noun) or indirect object
instrumental – denoting instrument used in action
prepositional – used many common prepositions, such “in”, “on” etc.

there no articles, neither definite or indefinite (such the, a, in english), in russian language. sense of noun determined context in appears. said, there means of expressing whether noun definite or indefinite. are:

the use of direct object in genitive instead of accusative in negation signifies noun indefinite, compare: Я не ви́жу кни́ги ( don t see book or don t see books ) , Я не ви́жу кни́гу ( don t see book ).
the use of numeral 1 signifies noun indefinite, e.g.: Почему́ ты так до́лго? – Да так, встре́тил одного́ дру́га, пришло́сь поговори́ть ( why did take long? – well, met 1 [=a] friend , had talk ).
word order may used purpose, compare В ко́мнату вбежа́л ма́льчик ( room rushed boy ) , Ма́льчик вбежа́л в ко́мнату ( boy rushed room ).
the plural form may signify indefiniteness: Вы мо́жете купи́ть э́то в магази́нах ( can buy in shops ) vs. Вы мо́жете купи́ть э́то в магази́не ( can buy in shop ).

the category of animacy relevant in russian nominal , adjectival declension. specifically, accusative has 2 possible forms in many paradigms, depending on animacy of referent. animate referents (sentient species, animals, professions , occupations), accusative form identical genitive form (genitive-accusative syncretism). inanimate referents (simple lifeforms, objects, states, notions), accusative form identical nominative form (genitive-nominative syncretism). principle relevant masculine singular nouns of second declension (see below) , adjectives, , plural paradigms (with no gender distinction). in tables below, behavior indicated abbreviation n or g in row corresponding accusative case.

in russian there 3 declensions:

the first declension used feminine nouns ending -а/-я , masculine nouns having same form of feminine gender, such па́па papa or дя́дя uncle; there common-gender nouns задира teaser masculine or feminine depending on person refer to.
the second declension used masculine , neuter nouns.
the third declension used feminine nouns ending in ь.

there group of several irregular different-declension nouns (russian: разносклоня́емые существи́тельные), consisting of few neuter nouns ending in -мя (e.g. вре́мя time ) , 1 masculine noun путь way . however, these nouns , forms have sufficient similarity feminine third declension nouns scholars such litnevskaya consider them non-feminine forms of declension, written in tables below.

nouns ending -ий, -ия, -ие (not confused substantivated adjectives) written -ии instead of -ие in prepositional (as ending never stressed, there no difference in pronunciation): тече́ние – в ни́жнем тече́нии реки́ streaming – in lower streaming of river . if words в течение , в продолжение representing compound preposition meaning while, during time of , written -е: в тече́ние ча́са in time of hour . nouns ending in -ья, -ье, or -ьё, using -ьи in prepositional (where endings of of them stressed) erroneous, in poetic speech may acceptable (as replace -ии -ьи metric or rhyming purposes): Весь день она́ лежа́ла в забытьи́ (f. tyutchev).

first declension

most first-declension nouns feminine, masculine. same endings apply both genders.

examples: рабо́та – work/job, ба́ня – bathhouse, кни́га – book, ли́ния – line

note: in instrumental case, -ою , -ею instead of -ой , -ей endings may encountered in singular.

second declension – masculine nouns

nouns ending in consonant marked in following table – (thus no ending).

notes:

examples

second declension – virtually entirely neuter nouns

examples ме́сто (n) – place, мо́ре (n) – sea, зда́ние (n) – building

third declension

the third declension feminine nouns, masculine , neuter.

examples: кость (f) – bone, мышь (f) – mouse, и́мя (n) – name

irregular plural forms

there various kinds of irregularities in forming plurals. words have irregular plural form, few use suppletion, being substituted different root altogether. historically, of these irregularities come older declensional patterns have become obsolete in modern russian.

undeclined nouns

some nouns (such borrowings other languages, abbreviations, etc.) not modified when change number , case. appears when gender appears have no ending in declension suits final part of word: these masculine names on vowels different -а/-я, female names on hard consonants (names Триш trish won t take soft sign go third declension native мышь mouse ). borrowed words ending in russian in э/е, и, о, у , stressed а not declined: кафе, пальто (french: paletot), Дюма etc. abbreviations undeclined (one exception вуз). many people think georgian surnames on -ия Данелия (georgian: დანელია) shouldn t declined since russian possessive genitives.

person names

traditionally, full russian name consists of person name (и́мя – given name or first name), patronym (о́тчество – father s name middle name) , family name (фами́лия – surname or last name). of these words have same grammatical gender biological one. slavic, greek, roman, jewish , other person names of european or semitic origin loaned centuries ago, have gender-specific versions of respective patronyms. produce patronym, suffixes -вич- , -вн- used final vowel addition or modification: -о hard consonant (Петро́вич/Петро́вна ⇐ son/daughter of Пётр), -ье -ий (Григо́рьевич/Григо́рьевна ⇐ Григо́рий), , -е other cases (Матве́евич/Матве́евна ⇐ Матве́й, И́горевич/И́горевна ⇐ И́горь). person names have versions both males , females (Алекса́ндр – Алекса́ндра, Евге́ний – Евге́ния).

additionally, slavic names have short forms, meant affectionate calls (Ива́н – Ва́ня, А́нна – А́ня; equivalent of johny, annie, etc.). short forms can form reemerging vocative case (sometimes called neo-vocative); used calling familiar person, substituting nominative singular removing last vowel (Артём – Тёма – Тём, О́льга – О́ля – Оль). reason, neo-vocative not possible male names can t produce short forms final vowel (including popular ones: Влади́мир, Вита́лий, И́горь). likewise, there neo-vocative form close relatives: мать – ма́ма – мам (mother – mommy – mom), оте́ц – па́па – пап (father – daddy – dad). when replacing nominative plural (used plural nouns), can used collective calls: ребя́та ( guys, lads ) – ребя́т, девча́та ( gals ) – девча́т.

most family names in russia gender-specific (shown below in male/female pairs) , declinable words (including plural form denote married couple or whole family, smiths ). can divided in these categories (sorted occurrence):

russian origin, gender-specific, declinable nouns: -о́в/-о́ва (unstressed names 4 of more syllables long), -ев/-ева, -ёв/ёва, -и́н/-ина́ (sometimes stressed names 2 syllables long);
russian origin, gender-agnostic, indeclinable: -ы́х, -и́х;
ukrainian origin, gender-specific, declinable adjectives: -ый/-ая, -о́й/-а́я;
ukrainian or belorussian origin, gender-agnostic, indeclinable: -е́нко (mostly stressed), -ко́;
ukrainian or belorussian origin, gender-agnostic, declinable masculine nouns males , indeclinable females: -у́к, -ю́к, -и́к, -е́ц, etc.;
other slavic origin, gender-specific, declinable adjectives: -ский/-ская, -цкий/-цкая;
other slavic or non-slavic origin, gender-agnostic, declinable masculine nouns males , indeclinable females: -о́вич, -е́вич, -ер, -ман, -берг, etc.

examples:

here male name composed of 2nd declention nouns, there exceptional endings instrumental (patronym: -ем, not -ом; family name: -ым, not -ом). female name in 1st declention, ending -ой used family name in oblique cases. plural follows adjectival declention, except nominative short -ы.