{"id":2321,"date":"2011-09-13T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2011-09-13T08:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=2321"},"modified":"2011-09-13T01:18:58","modified_gmt":"2011-09-13T01:18:58","slug":"confusing-russian-pronouns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/confusing-russian-pronouns\/","title":{"rendered":"Confused About Russian Pronouns?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Is Russian grammar confusing? You bet! Just check out this photo I snapped at a Russian store in New Jersey.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Do you ever get frustrated with Russian grammar rules? Are you tired of declension tables, unpredictable word stress and having to memorize endless exceptions from the rules?<\/p>\n

Well, I am not about to offer a magic bullet for your troubles (although this is a post about grammar). However, I do have a great phrase to teach you. When things are confusing and difficult to understand, Russians say \u00ab<\/strong>\u0431\u0435\u0437 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b-<\/strong>\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0440\u0430 <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0431\u0435\u0440\u0451<\/span>\u0448\u044c\u0441\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [lit. can\u2019t figure it out without a half-liter (of vodka)] as in<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0413\u0440\u0430\u043c\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430 – \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u043e \u0441\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u043e\u0435. \u0422\u0443\u0442 <\/strong>\u0431\u0435\u0437 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b-<\/strong>\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0440\u0430 <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0431\u0435\u0440\u0451<\/span>\u0448\u0441\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [Grammar is a complicated thing. It\u2019s hard to figure it out.]<\/p>\n

Even though I am a native speaker of Russian who paid reasonably good attention in school, I find many grammar rules confusing to say the least. Plus \u00ab<\/strong>\u0448\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0430 <\/strong>\u0431\u044b\u043b\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0434\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [school was a long time ago]. Somehow remembering that \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\/<\/strong>\u0448\u0438 <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0448\u0438<\/span> <\/strong>\u0441 <\/strong>\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u0432\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [write \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0448\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> with a letter \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> (even though you tend to hear \u00ab\u044b\u00bb)] just isn\u2019t enough to pass for \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0437\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [an educated person].<\/p>\n

For example, I\u2019ve been stumbling over when to use \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong>, \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0451<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong>, \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0438\u0445\u00bb<\/strong> and when to use \u00ab<\/strong>\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong>, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0435\u0451<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong>, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0445\u00bb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s back up for a minute to review a few Russian \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0438\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [personal pronouns], particularly \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> [he], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [she], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [it], and \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [they].<\/p>\n

In Russian, pronouns have attributes of<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u0438\u0446\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [person] – the ones above are all \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0438\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f <\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0435\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u043b\u0438\u0446\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [third person pronouns]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u0434\u00bb<\/strong> [gender] – \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0443\u0436\u0441\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [masculine], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [feminine] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [neuter]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0447\u0438\u0441\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [number] – \u00ab\u0435\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [singular] and \u00ab\u043c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [plural]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0430\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0436\u00bb<\/strong> [case] – yes, the pronouns will have different case endings, just like Russian nouns<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a declension table for third person pronouns:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Case<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Singular<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Plural<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Masculine<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Feminine<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Neuter<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Nominative<\/td>\n\u043e\u043d<\/strong><\/td>\n\u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u043e\u043d\u043e<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Genitive<\/td>\n\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u0435\u0451<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u0438\u0445<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Genitive (w. prep)<\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u0451<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0438\u0445<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dative<\/td>\n\u0435\u043c\u0443<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u0435\u0439<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0435\u043c\u0443<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u0438\u043c<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dative (w. prep)<\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u043c\u0443<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u0439<\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u043c\u0443<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0438\u043c<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accusative<\/td>\n\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u0435\u0451<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u0438\u0445<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accusative (w. prep)<\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u0451<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0438\u0445<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Instrumental<\/td>\n\u0438\u043c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0435\u0439, \u0435<\/span>\u044e<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0438\u043c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0438<\/span><\/strong>\u043c\u0438<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Instrumental (w. prep)<\/td>\n\u043d\u0438\u043c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u0439, \u043d\u0435<\/span>\u044e<\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0438\u043c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u0438<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prepositional<\/td>\n\u043d\u0451\u043c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0435\u0439<\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0451\u043c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u043d\u0438\u0445<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

As you can see, this table is just a little bit longer than usual thanks to Genitive (w. prep), Dative (w. prep), Accusative (w. prep) and Instrumental (w. prep) cases.<\/p>\n

The \u201cw. prep\u201d means \u201cwith preposition\u201d. So now it all seems clear enough – if you use these pronouns with prepositions, you will use a longer form, the one that adds \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> at the beginning of each pronoun. Simple, isn\u2019t it? Why would I ever get confused in the first place?<\/p>\n

Ok, as you probably guess, this rule is somewhat incomplete in its explanation of when to append \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> to third person pronouns and when leave them as is\u2026<\/p>\n

So here it goes:<\/p>\n

While use of \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> at the beginning of these forms of third person pronouns is mandatory with most prepositions, it is downright incorrect with some. But here\u2019s the best part – there are quite a few prepositions with which it can go either way.<\/p>\n

Oh, boy\u2026 Looks like we need another table, but since Russian language is rich in prepositions and your patience and time are limited, I\u2019m going to skip it (here it is on Gramota.ru<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what I suggest instead – memorize the following twelve prepositions:<\/p>\n