Thread: genitive plural ending

i really have a very hard time figuring out what ending to put each time i need to use genitive plural. can anyone help me and tell me if there is a rule or some trick to understand when the ending of the noun is ов-ев, ей or nothing?

it's still a game of chance for me:/

thanks in advance

There are not definate rules, but guidelines:

Masculine or Feminine nouns ending in a soft sign -ь replace the soft sign with -ей. (Eй is often stressed):

рубль - рублей
день - дней (epithetic E)
житель - жителей
площадь - площадей


Masculine nouns ending Ж Ш Щ Ч add -ей

этаж - этажей
врач - врачей
товарищ - товарищей

Most masculine nouns ending in other consonants add -ов

стол - столов
язык - языков

BUT Spelling Rules state that Ц cannot be followed by an unstressed O, so instead after Ц the ending is -ев

месяц - месяцев
американец - американцев

отец - отцов - O is allowed here as it is STRESSED.

Feminine nouns ending in A or Я and Neuter nouns in O have zero endings, that is they loose there final vowel

улица - улиц
машина - машин
слово - слов

Generally nouns ending is Я will retain the softness of the last consonant and therefore end -ь. However the ending -ня ---> -ен

неделя - недель

Some words insert a vowel (o or e) if consonant clusters arise:

девушка - девушек (this works for all -шка endings)
окно - окон
марка - марок

The consonant is O, unless spelling rules dictate otherwise, then it is E. Like in девушек there is an E since an unstressed O is not allowed after Ш

The endings -ия -ие change to -ий

фамилия - фамилий
движение - движений

Nouns ending -Й replace it with -ев

музей - музеев

But there are MANY MANY exceptions, but these are some general rules that should help alot.

"Марок - марков" - что это?
Марка - марок

Originally Posted by Lampada

"Марок - марков" - что это?
Марка - марок

That's the one

Just briefly learn the guidlines which Tatu has already posted, but don't worry to much about them. Just take it one word at a time, learn as you go. You will eventually find yourself knowing the declensions before you even look, even if you don't know why.

MANY expections - what's this?

MANY exceptions







P.S. These're two

thanks for the help, TATY

Originally Posted by Rtyom

MANY expections - what's this?

MANY exceptions

Those are expected exceptions.......

Originally Posted by BabaYaga

Originally Posted by Rtyom

MANY expections - what's this?

MANY exceptions

Those are expected exceptions.......

I see it.

basurero,

правильнее было бы сказать или "поправьте меня, если я ошибся" или "исправьте мои ошибки"