Thread: Remembering the cases

One problem I have is trying to remember the different cases. When to use them and what endings to use. Some I have little trouble with, mainly the prepositional, accusitive, and genitive cases. But the rest, I need desperate help.

If anybody can give me tips or information that will help, I'd be grateful.

Look here

Speciba soratnik!

Не за что, Ваше Величество!

Originally Posted by JJ

Не за что, Ваше Величество!

LOL! You will BOW before me serf!

I have trouble with cases also.Well,it's a nightmare
I got an F for the whole year,just cos I couldn't understand cases.

Thanks 4 the link!

the prepositional, accusitive, and genitive cases. But the rest, I need desperate help.

Ok. Instrumental case- Usually means "by means of" or "with" or when your saying what a person's job was or what he will be.

He writes with a pencil.
He went to Moscow on a plane (by means of a plane).
This book was written by him.
He was a doctor. (on bil doktopom)
He will be a doctor.
He was talking with Irina.
With whom (c kem) are you talking?

Dative case. Means to, as in toward. Like:

I am going to Ivan's house (I am going to Ivan) would be "ya yedoo k Ivanu (if you are driving or going by transport).
I also use it when I am talking to someone (I am talking TO Irina).
It is also used when you are saying "I need" or "I have to" (I am obliged to)
This would be "mnye nada (to me it is necessary)
Dative is also used when you are expressing a liking for something or someone "I like you" would be "Ti MNYE ochen nravitsya" or "vi", depending on who you are speaking to. "He likes me" would be "Ya yemu ochen nravitsya".
Note that "nravitsya" does not refer to a deep long lasting feeling, like love. For that you would need the verb "lyubit" + accusative case. "Ya lyublyu tebya" for example.

Nominative case is kinda straightforward. "This is my brother" would be "Eto moy brat"
In this case the words "moy" and "brat" are both in the nominative case.
He is a professor" would be "on professar". These two words are both in the nominative case.
I hope this is enough to at least get you started! Or would you like the case endings as well?
Good luck.

Originally Posted by Svetlana

"He likes me" would be "Ya yemu ochen nravitsya".

Я ему очень нравЛЮСЬ.
Ya yemoo ochen nravlyoos

Just a little something my Russian professor taught me when I was getting my Russian major at university for remembering the different plurals of the cases. For adjectives:

Dative- eem or im as in novim
Instrumental- eemi or imi
Prep/gen/accus-animate- eeh or ih as in krasivih


For nouns:

am for dative
ami for instrumental
ah for prepositional

For soft versions of the nouns: it's just

yam
yami
yah

P.S. To "smartdude":
Thanks. I'll double check on that, but I'm not sure that was in my own Russian book...WTH I'll check anyway.

Originally Posted by Svetlana

For nouns:

am for dative
ami for instrumental
ah for prepositional

For soft versions of the nouns: it's just

yam
yami
yah

For plural nouns. And a more traditional transliteration would be 'akh' rather than 'ah'.

Я ему очень нравЛЮСЬ.
Ya yemoo ochen nravlyoos

I checked on that last night and- well I know that's how it's conjugated but my grammar books say that you use "nravitsya" unless the thing or being being liked is plural then you say "nravyatsya"

Sorry I cannot write in Cyrillic (at least not yet anyway).