Usage/Meaning of Instrumental case
- Primary useage is 'with' (in the sense of by means of ) i.e. I wrote with a pencil.
- After 6 prepositions: за (behind/beyond), между (between), над (above), под (under), перед (in front of), с (with)
- Used with parts of day and seasons, when answering question 'when'? i.e. in the morning, in the night, in the fall
- With certain verbs, notably быть. (Normally it's omitted in present tense, but has normal forms in past and future, and instrumental will follow) i.e. Его отец был шахтером
- Note the idiomatic usage of с + instr to join to human subjects. Борис с иваном, шли Борис с Иваном
Some verbs that take instrumental case
This list is not complete.- Быть (to be)
- заниматься (to be engaged with something/to study)
- Казаться (to seem)
- Интересоваться (to be interested in something)
- Гордиться (to be proud of)
- Пользоваться (to use)
- Болеть (to be sick with something)
- Командовать (to command)
- Управлять (to control)
- Руководить (to manage/to lead)
How to Decline
Singular
Singular nouns:- ом : masc nousn ending in a consonant, and neuter ending in о
- ем/ём : m nouns ending in ь or й, and neuter ending in е
- ой : nouns ending in a, regardless of gender
- ей/ёй : nouns ending in я, regardless of gender (use ёй if я is stressed)
- ю : fem nouns ending in ь, ADD ю (not replace)