Genitive case facts
- Most common case after nominative and accusative.
- Concept of genitive is to show "of" something.
Uses of genitive case
- To show posession, corresponding to the 's in Ivan's , and related meanings, corresponding to of in map of the town.
- With number and quantity words (2-4 and any number ending in them is gen sing, and 5+ is gen plural; много времени, etc.). Think of these like "three of rubles", "many of time"
- After a large number of prepositions (see below).
- With нет, meaning there isn't, i.e. the opposite of есть (NOT нет, no, the opposite of да).
- After negated transitive verbs (Она не знает языка)
Prepositions of the Genitive Case
-
Non-Existence and Negation
- без (without)
- (на)против (against, opposite)
- кроме (except)
- вместо (instead of)
-
Closeness
- у (by, at)
- близ (near)
- вдоль (along)
- возле (by, near)
- мимо (past, by)
- около (near, around)
- (по)среди (among)
- вокруг (around)
-
Origin
- из(о) ((out) from)
- с(о) ((down) from)
- от(о) ((away) from)
- после (after)
- из-за (from behind, because of)
- ис-под (from under)
-
etc.
- вне (outside)
- внутри (inside)
- для (for (benefit))
- ради (for the sake of)
- до (as far as)
- накануне (on the eve of)
How to Decline
Singular
-
а / я
:
- Masc nouns ending in consonant: add а .
- Neuter ending in о: replace with а
- Masc nouns ending in й or ь, and neuter ending in е: replace with я
-
ы / и
:
- Nouns ending in а -- regardless of gender -- replace with ы .
- Nouns ending in я -- regardless of gender -- and fem nouns ending in ь, replace with и
-
ени
: The ten neuter nouns ending in мя, replace я with
ени
:
-
время (time): врем ени
-
имя (name): им ени
-
бремя (burden): брем ени
-
семя (seed): сем ени
-
темя (crown of the head): тем ени
-
пламя (flame): плам ени
-
стремя (stirrup): стрем ени
-
знамя (flag): знам ени
-
племя (tribe): плем ени
-
вымя (udder): вым ени
-