Thread: Another case question :(

Hi, I'm pretty new here, this is my second post, so sorry if this question's been asked before. I was wondering, are there any special rules pertaining to case endings? Or do you have to memorize the endings separately for each word?

Originally Posted by soadostrich

I was wondering, are there any special rules pertaining to case endings? Or do you have to memorize the endings separately for each word?

Of course there are rules.

Heh, for everyword. that would be gay.

No, just for each gender. As there are 3 genders, you must memorize the case ending for each gender.

Sorry, it's emtpy.

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

No, just for each gender. As there are 3 genders, you must memorize the case ending for each gender.

And only after that you should memorize a gender, a stress and a склонение(?) for all those words.
Actually, you can define склонение judging by it's ending but sometimes it doesn't work. I found a lot of tables in here.

стул(II), стол(II) - мужской род (masculine)
скамейка(I), табуретка(I), лень(III) - женский род (feminine)
окно(II), яблоко(II) - средний род (neuter)

<table border="1">
<tr>
<td>Вопрос</td>
<td>I</td>
<td>II</td>
<td>III</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>кто? что?</td>
<td>скамейка</td>
<td>стул</td>
<td>лень</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>кого? чего?</td>
<td>скамейки</td>
<td>стула</td>
<td>лени</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>кому? чему?</td>
<td>скамейке</td>
<td>стулу</td>
<td>лени</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>(на) кого? (на) что?</td>
<td>(на) скамейку</td>
<td>(на) стул</td>
<td>(на) лень</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>кем? чем?</td>
<td>скамейкой</td>
<td>стулом</td>
<td>ленью</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>(о) ком? (о) чем?</td>
<td>(о) скамейке</td>
<td>(о) стуле</td>
<td>(о) лени</td>
</tr>
</table>

soadostrich, are you trying to learn Russian without a grammar book? Otherwise it's hard to understand your question.

There are definitely rules, just like, for example, in English we have rules governing how we make a plural from a singular noun. Sometimes we add the /s/ sound (cigarette - cigarettes), sometimes the /z/ (cigar - cigars, roach - roaches), and sometimes something totally off the wall (wife - wives, child - children, hypothesis - hypotheses). Russian is the same way - general rules, with some exceptions. It is many times more difficult because Russian has more than just singular/plural forms, as you are already aware.

Any first-year grammar book should be able to answer your question. This site has a section about learning books, and you could probably find some good recommendations there. I am a tutor in Chapel Hill, and use the book that UNC uses, called Начало, 1 and 2 for the first two years of Russian. They are about $100 a pop, including workbook and tape. Not bad, I would recommend Начало as it also gives you a sense of Russian life as well as its language.

Good luck on your quest! Успехи!

Thanks for your help everyone. I do think it would be a good idea to get a grammar book, so I guess I'll do that.

You don't need a grammar book. I certianly didn't look at one till only about 4 months ago (About a year and a half into learning russian). I managed to learn cases, adjectives, verbs of motion, and all that mumbo jumbo from just the internet... Though, a good dictionary helps.

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

I managed to learn cases, adjectives, verbs of motion...

Wow! I've been working with Russian outside of Russian for more years than you are old and I still have questions with motion verbs!! =:^0

I only wish I could live there for a year!

Motion verbs are SO annoying. I often get confused by them and have to think which one to use...
I am teaching my mother how to speak Russian and I taught her how to say "go away" and now she says it to me all the time....she is joking of course, but I know what you mean about those verbs of motion.

When you say "Go away" what do you say?

I say "oydi" Of course if I was talking to some old Russian who was looking for sex and was flirting with me, then I would say "Ostaftye menya!"

оуди ? Что это такое ? Ты хотела "Уйди". А лучше сказать "Пошёл / пошла!"

У нас есть в нашей школе шутка. Мы говорим " Пошёл ты на ху -лицу!"

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

оуди ? Что это такое ? Ты хотела "Уйди". А лучше сказать "Пошёл / пошла!"

У нас есть в нашей школе шутка. Мы говорим " Пошёл ты на ху -лицу!"

Пошёл (на ху is kinda (extremly) rude, especially if you're talking to your mother . More less neutral is Отстань! or Не приставай ко мне!

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

У нас есть в нашей школе шутка. Мы говорим " Пошёл ты на ху -лицу!"

А у нас была "Пошёл ты/Иди на ху-тор бабочек ловить" (хутор - village in Ukrainian)

На ху-лицу это круто :)
Мы в школе как и JJ говорили на ху-тор.
Сейчас, судя по тому как дети разговаривают на улицах, такое уже не говорят, они говорят как есть.

оуди ? Что это такое ? Ты хотела "Уйди". А лучше сказать "Пошёл / пошла!"

У нас есть в нашей школе шутка. Мы говорим " Пошёл ты на ху -лицу!"


oh please, Dogboy, give me a break. I cannot spell it correctly and you know why. So I have to approximate it. And, when my mother and myself tell each other to "oydi" we only joke.
Ok, maybe it is a joke at your school. but whatever...

you can also say иди отсюда

(от)вали отсюда

шлифуй под нары заусениц

сбрызни

катись отсюда

Originally Posted by alexei

На ху-лицу это круто
Мы в школе как и JJ говорили на ху-тор.
Сейчас, судя по тому как дети разговаривают на улицах, такое уже не говорят, они говорят как есть.

я конечно еще молодой - но лет 30 назад дети говорили как есть...