Nominative Case in Russian
Именительный падеж
The nominative case is the dictionary form of words and represents the subject of the sentence. It answers the questions 'who?' (кто?) and 'what?' (что?).
Example: Девочка играет в парке. (The girl plays in the park.)
When to Use Nominative Case
The nominative case is used in several key situations in Russian grammar.
| Usage | Russian Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Subject of sentence | Студент читает книгу. | The student reads a book. |
| Predicate noun | Он врач. | He is a doctor. |
| Dictionary form | стол, мама, окно | table, mom, window |
| Existence (есть) | У меня есть собака. | I have a dog. |
| Direct address | Мама, иди сюда! | Mom, come here! |
| Lists/naming | Это стол, стул, лампа. | This is a table, chair, lamp. |
Nominative Case Endings
In nominative case, nouns appear in their dictionary form. Here are the typical patterns:
| Gender | Singular Endings | Plural Endings |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | consonant, -й, -ь | -ы, -и |
| Feminine | -а, -я, -ь | -ы, -и |
| Neuter | -о, -е, -мя | -а, -я |
Personal Pronouns in Nominative
Personal pronouns in nominative case serve as sentence subjects:
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | я (I) | мы (we) |
| 2nd | ты (you) | вы (you pl./formal) |
| 3rd masc. | он (he) | они (they) |
| 3rd fem. | она (she) | они (they) |
| 3rd neut. | оно (it) | они (they) |
Adjective Agreement in Nominative
Adjectives must agree with nouns in gender, number, and case. Here are nominative adjective endings:
| Gender/Number | Hard Stem (-ый) | Soft Stem (-ий) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. Sing. | -ый | -ий | новый дом, синий стол |
| Fem. Sing. | -ая | -яя | новая мама, синяя ручка |
| Neut. Sing. | -ое | -ее | новое окно, синее море |
| Plural (all) | -ые | -ие | новые дома, синие столы |
Question Words in Nominative
Key question words that expect nominative case answers:
- Кто? (Who?) - for animate beings
- Что? (What?) - for inanimate objects
- Какой/какая/какое? (What kind?) - for adjective descriptions
- Чей/чья/чьё? (Whose?) - for possession
Example Sentences
Учитель объясняет урок.The teacher explains the lesson.
Красивая девушка поёт песню.A beautiful girl is singing a song.
Большой дом стоит на улице.A big house stands on the street.
Мы изучаем русский язык.We are studying Russian.
Кто читает эту книгу?Who is reading this book?
Что лежит на столе?What is lying on the table?
Собака и кошка играют во дворе.A dog and cat are playing in the yard.
Новые студенты приехали вчера.New students arrived yesterday.