Uses of Accusative case
- Many common verbs where we would use "him" in English (see/hear/write/read/buy/open/do/eat/drink..).
- With prepositions в and на, when they express motion to somewhere (Мы едем в Москву).
- In expressions of durations and frequency (Подождите минуту)
- With prepositions через (through, across), за (for, as in спасибо за ..)
Verbs that take the accusative
This list is not exhaustive.- делать / сделать (to do, to make)
- есть / съесть (to eat)
- пить / выпить (to drink)
- изучать / изучить (to study)
- читать / прочитать (to read)
- писать / написать (to write)
- слушать / послушать (to hear)
- смотреть / посмотреть (to watch)
- видеть / увидеть (to see)
- покупать / купить (to buy)
- готовить / приготовить (to prepare)
- открывать / открыть (to open)
- закрывать / закрыть (to close)
- любить (to love)
- Хотеть (to want)
How to Decline
Singular
Singular nouns:- у / ю : nouns ending in а and я -- regardless of gender -- change to у and ю, respectively.
- No change : [ACC = NOM] Masc inanimate nouns ending in consonant, й, or ь; all neuter nouns; and fem nouns ending in ь.
- а / я : [ACC = GEN] Animate m nouns ending in a consonant, or in soft ь and й, add а or replace with я, respectively.
- fem nouns are the only ones that have their own ending, and it's regardless of animacy.
- Inanimate masc nouns, neuter nouns, and fem nouns ending in ь don't change.
- Among masculine nouns, only animate ones are important: they take their respective genitive ending. The exception is masc nouns ending in а or я, such as папа or Боря, which take the fem ending. I think, but not sure, that all such masculine nouns are animate.