The Noun Introduction

 

There are six cases in Russian. Russian nouns change for case.

1. The nominative case

2. The genitive case

3. The dative case

4. The accusative case

5. The instrumental case

6. The prepositional case

All the cases other than the nominative are called oblique cases.

 

Nominative case

 

In the dictionaries the words are given in the nominative case. The forms of all other cases are derived from the singular form of the Nominative case.

 

Classification of Nouns into 11 Groups based on Ending.

 

Singular nouns in the nominative case are grouped or divide into eleven types based on the ending of the nouns.  Given below are the nouns classified into eleven groups based on the endings.

 

Masculine gender                    

                                               

1.  Singular and Plural form of the nouns whose stem ends in a hard conso­nant.

студент student

студенты students

 

актор actor

акторы actors

 

институт institute

институты institutes

 

журнал magazine

журналы magazines

 

университет university

университеты universities

 

сад garden

сады gardens

 

парк park

парки parks

         

2. Singular and Plural form of the nouns ending with «-й»

герой hero                    

герои heroes

 

музей museum              

музеи museums

         

трамвай tram                         

трамваи trams

 

попугай parrot             

попугаи parrots            

                                     

3. Noun ending with «-ий»

прлетарий proletarian            

прлетарии proletarians

 

санаторий sanatorium           

санатории sanatoriums

         

4.  Noun ending with soft sign «-ь»

учитель teacher            

учители teachers

приятель friend            

приятели friends

словарь dictionary                  

словари dictionary

огонь fire                      

огони fire

уголь coal                     

уголи coal

                            

Feminine gender

5.  Nouns ending with «-а»

сестра sister                           

сёстры sisters

 

актриса actress             

актрисы actresses

 

страна country              

страны countries

 

книга book                            

лампы lamps

 

лампа lamp                            

книги books

         

6. Nouns ending with «-я»

тётя aunt                       

тёти aunts

 

няня  nurse/nanny                   

няни nurses/nannies

 

деревня village             

деревни villages

 

песня song                             

песни songs

         

7.   Nouns ending with «-ия»

армия army                            

армии armies

 

лекция lecture              

лекции lectures

 

аудитория auditorium            

аудитории auditoriums

 

фамилия surname                  

фамилии surnames

                            

8.   Noun ending with soft sign «-ь»

 

тетрадь notebook                  

тетради notebooks

 

дверь door                             

двери doors

 

ночь night                     

ночи nights

                            

Neuter gender

 

9.   Nouns ending with «-о»

 

письмо letter                          

письма letters

 

окно window                

окна windows

 

слово word                            

слова words

 

право right                    

права rights

                            

10.     Nouns ending with «-e»

море sea                       

моря seas

 

поле field                     

поля fields

 

ружьё gun                     

ружья guns

 

платье dress                          

платья dresses

         

11.     Nouns ending with «-иe»

общежитие hostel        

общежития hostels

 

здание building             

здания buildings

 

задание task/exercise   

задания tasks/exercises

 

Note

The declension of nouns in all other cases is explained on the basis of the following eleven groups. Hence it is very important for the learners to remember the following classification of nouns.

*    *    *