The Nominative Case in Russian Usage and Examples

The nominative case in Russian—Ð ¸Ã ¼Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã'‚Ð µÃ »Ã'Å'Ð ½Ã'‹Ð ¹ Ð ¿Ã °Ã ´Ã µÃ ¶ (imeNEEtelny paDYEZH)—is the basic case and serves to identify the subject of a verb. All nouns and pronouns in Russian dictionaries are given in the nominative case. This case answers the questions Ð ºÃ'‚Ð ¾/Ã'‡Ã'‚Ð ¾ (ktoh/chtoh), which translate as who/what. Quick Tip The nominative case in Russian identifies the subject of a sentence and answers the questions Ð ºÃ'‚Ð ¾/Ã'‡Ã'‚Ð ¾ (ktoh/chtoh), meaning who/what. Its equivalent in English is any noun or pronoun that is the subject of a verb. When to Use the Nominative Case The nominative case can be dependent or independent. Independent Nominative Case The independent nominative case can be used as: The subject of a sentence (fulfills the nominative function) Examples: - Ð Ã ²Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã ±Ã'Æ'Ã'  Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ´Ã'ŠÐ µÃ'…Ð °Ã ». (afTOboos padYEkhal)- The bus arrived. - ЛÐ °Ã ¼Ã ¿Ã ° Ð ·Ã °Ã ¶Ã ³Ã »Ã °Ã' Ã'Å'. (LAMpah zazhGLAS)- The lamp/light came on. In both of these sentences, the noun is in the nominative case and is the subject of the sentence. A noun or pronoun in a one-word nominative sentence (fulfills the nominative function) Examples: - Ð Ã ¾Ã'‡Ã'Å'. (noch)- Night. - Ðâ€"Ð ¸Ã ¼Ã °. (zeeMAH)- Winter. A vocative, that is, a word or a sentence that is used to address someone directly, usually by their name, using intonation to include emphasis or specific meaning. Examples: - Ð Ã °Ã'‚Ð °Ã'ˆÐ °, Ð ²Ã ¾Ã ·Ã'Å'Ð ¼Ã ¸ Ã'‚Ã'€Ã'Æ'Ð ±Ã ºÃ'Æ'. (naTAsha, vazMEE TROOPkoo)- Natasha, pick up (the phone). - ЛÃ'‘Ã'ˆÐ °! (LYOsha!)- Lyosha! (affectionate or shortened form of the name Alexei) Dependent Nominative Case The dependent nominative case is used as: Part of a complex nominative predicate, meaning that a noun or a pronoun is used together with a verb to form a predicate. Sometimes the verb itself is replaced with an em dash. Examples: - КÐ ¾Ã ½Ã µÃ'† – Ð ´Ã µÃ »Ã'Æ' Ð ²Ã µÃ ½Ã µÃ'†. (kaNYETS - DYEloo VYEnets)- All is well that ends well. - ОÐ ½ – Ã'Æ'Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã'‚Ð µÃ »Ã'Å'. (OHN - ooCHEEtel)- He is a teacher. As an additional nominative (Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¸Ã »Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã µ - prilaZHEniye), which is a noun or a pronoun that adds information to another noun, including proper names. Examples: - ÐÅ"Ð ¾Ã ¹ Ð ºÃ ¾Ã »Ã »Ã µÃ ³Ã °-Ð °Ã ½Ã ³Ã »Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã ½ Ð ½Ã µ Ð »Ã'ŽÐ ±Ã ¸Ã » Ð ¾Ã ¿Ã °Ã ·Ã ´Ã'‹Ð ²Ã °Ã'‚Ã'Å'. (moy kaLYEga-angliCHAnin ny lyuBIL aPAZdyvat)- My colleague the Englishman didnt like to be late. - Ðâ€"Ã'Æ'Ã'€Ð ½Ã °Ã » Ð Ã'Å'Ã'Ž-ЙÐ ¾Ã'€Ð ºÃ µÃ'€ Ð ½Ã °Ã ¿Ã µÃ'‡Ð °Ã'‚Ð °Ã » Ð µÃ'‘ Ã' Ã'‚Ð °Ã'‚Ã'Å'Ã'Ž. (zhoorNAL New-Yorker napyCHAtal yeYOH statYUH)- The New Yorker Magazine published her article. Nominative Case Endings What Are Declensions? Before we look at the endings in the nominative case, it is important to understand what we mean by declensions in the Russian language. Most Russian parts of speech, including nouns, are declined by numbers (singular/plural), cases, and sometimes genders. When deciding which ending to use when declining a noun by case, you should look at what declension it is rather than what gender, as it is the declension that will determine the correct ending. There are three main noun declensions in Russian: 1st Declension: Includes all feminine nouns that end in Ð °/Ã'  as well as masculine and common nouns that end in Ð °/Ã'  when in the singular nominative form. Example: - Ð ´Ã µÃ ²Ã ¾Ã'‡Ð ºÃ ° (DYEvachka)- A girl 2nd Declension: Includes masculine nouns that have a zero ending in the singular nominative form and neuter nouns that end in Ð ¾/Ð µ in singular nominative form. A zero ending is an ending that is not present in a words current form, although other endings are present in the words other forms. Example: - Ð ºÃ ¾Ã ½Ã'Å' (singular, masculine, ending in a zero ending). (kon)- A horse 3rd Declension: Feminine nouns with a zero ending in the singular nominative form. Example: - Ð ¿Ã µÃ'‡Ã'Å' (singular, feminine, ending in a zero ending). (pyech)- A stove Additionally, a group of nouns that change their endings outside of the usual rules are called heteroclitic and can be considered to form a fourth declension. Declension (Ð ¡Ã ºÃ »Ã ¾Ã ½Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã µ) Singular (ЕÐ ´Ã ¸Ã ½Ã' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã µ Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã' Ã »Ã ¾) Examples Plural (ÐÅ"Ð ½Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã µ Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã' Ã »Ã ¾) Examples First declension -Ð °, -Ã'  Ã' Ã µÃ ¼Ã'Å'Ã'  (semYA) - family, feminineÐ ¿Ã °Ã ¿Ã ° (PApa) - Dad, masculine -Ã'‹, -Ð ¸ Ã' Ã µÃ ¼Ã'Å'Ð ¸ (SYEMyee) - families, feminine, pluralÐ ¿Ã °Ã ¿Ã'‹ (PApy) - Dads,masculine, plural Second declension "zero ending," -Ð ¾, -Ð µ Ã' Ã'‚oÐ » (stol) - table, masculine, "zero ending"Ð ¾Ã ºÃ ½Ã ¾ (akNOH) - window, neuter -Ã'‹, -Ð ¸, -Ð °, -Ã'  Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã »Ã'‹ (staLYH) - tables, masculine,pluralÐ ¾Ã ºÃ ½Ã ° (OKnah) - windows, neuter, plural Third declension "zero ending" Ð ½Ã ¾Ã'‡Ã'Å' (noch) - night, feminine, "zero ending" -Ð ¸ Ð ½Ã ¾Ã'‡Ð ¸ (NOchi) - nigths, feminine, plural Heteroclitic nouns -Ã'  Ð ²Ã'€Ð µÃ ¼Ã'  (VRYEmya) - time, neuter -Ð ° Ð ²Ã'€Ð µÃ ¼Ã µÃ ½Ã ° (vyremeNAH) - times, neuter, plural Examples: - Ð Ã °Ã'ˆÐ ° Ã' Ã µÃ ¼Ã'Å'Ã'  Ð »Ã'ŽÐ ±Ã ¸Ã'‚ Ð ¾Ã'‚Ð ´Ã'‹Ã'…Ð °Ã'‚Ã'Å' Ð ½Ã ° Ð ¼Ã ¾Ã'€Ð µ. (NAsha syemYA LYUbit atdyHAT na MOrye)- My family likes to go on vacation to the seaside. - ДÐ ²Ã µÃ'€Ã'Å' Ð ¼Ã µÃ ´Ã »Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾ Ð ¾Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ¾Ã'€Ð ¸Ã »Ã °Ã' Ã'Å'. (dvyer MYEDlena atvaREElas)- The door opened slowly. - ÐÅ"Ã'‹ Ð ´Ã ¾Ã »Ã ³Ã ¾ Ð ±Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ´Ã ¸Ã »Ã ¸ Ð ¿Ã ¾ Ð ³Ã ¾Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ´Ã'Æ'. (my DOLga braDEEli pa GOradoo)- We wandered around the city for a long time. - Ð Ã °Ã'ˆÐ ¸ Ð ¿Ã °Ã ¿Ã'‹ - Ã'Æ'Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã'‚Ð µÃ »Ã' . (NAshi PApy - oochityeLYA)- Our Dads are teachers. - ПÐ µÃ'‡Ã'Å' Ð µÃ'‰Ð µ Ð ´Ã ¾Ã »Ã ³Ã ¾ Ã'‚Ð µÃ ¿Ã »Ã ¸Ã »Ã °Ã' Ã'Å'. (pyech yeSHO DOLga tyepLEElas)- The stove remained warm for a while longer. - КÐ °Ã ºÃ ¸Ã µ Ã'‚Ð µÃ ¿Ã »Ã'‹Ð µ Ð ½Ã ¾Ã'‡Ð ¸ Ð ·Ã ´Ã µÃ' Ã'Å'! (kaKEEye TYOPlyye NOchi zdyes)- The nights are so warm here! - Ð’Ã'€Ð µÃ ¼Ã µÃ ½Ã ° Ã' Ã µÃ ¹Ã'‡Ð °Ã'  Ã'‚Ð °Ã ºÃ ¸Ã µ. (vryemeNAH syCHAS taKEEye)- These are the times now.