{"id":2490,"date":"2011-12-19T08:00:15","date_gmt":"2011-12-19T08:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=2490"},"modified":"2014-07-17T17:39:22","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T17:39:22","slug":"time-to-learn-russian-declensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/time-to-learn-russian-declensions\/","title":{"rendered":"Time to Learn Russian Declensions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you remember the Gender of Russian Nouns<\/a> post that appeared a few weeks ago? It generated the record number of comments and all of them contributed to the subject. So if, after reading the post itself, you have more questions than answers, then do check out the comments.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing though\u2026 I originally set out to write a post on declensions, following a request from one of the readers, Aurea. I decided to start off with an overview of gender, but to do cover it \u0432\u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0446\u0435<\/strong> (briefly). Yeah, right\u2026<\/p>\n

Still, now that we have had time to refresh our grammar on the subject of \u0440\u043e\u0434 <\/strong>\u0438\u043c\u0451<\/span>\u043d <\/strong>\u0441\u0443\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0445<\/strong> (gender of nouns), it\u2019s finally time to move on to \u0441\u043a\u043b\u043e\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/strong> (declensions).<\/p>\n

Knowing declensions is helpful when you are trying to memorize all the ways a noun\u2019s ending changes as you take it through \u043f\u0430\u0434\u0435\u0436\u0438<\/span><\/strong> (cases). Let\u2019s start with some good news:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Russian language has only \u0442\u0440\u0438 <\/strong>\u0441\u043a\u043b\u043e\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/strong> (three declensions) – \u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0432\u043e\u0435<\/strong> (first), \u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0435 <\/strong>(second) and \u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0435<\/strong> (third)<\/li>\n
  2. You really only need to concentrate on singular endings because plural endings are quite similar<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    And now let\u2019s look close at the three \u0441\u043a\u043b\u043e\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/strong>. Keep in mind that in Russian grammar Roman numerals I, II and III are used to show declensions:<\/p>\n

    Declension group I<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Almost all masculine nouns fall under the first declension. The exceptions are masculine nouns that end in –<\/strong>\u0430<\/strong> and –<\/strong>\u044f<\/strong>, such as \u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043f\u0430<\/strong> (dad), \u0434\u044f<\/span>\u0434\u044f<\/strong> (uncle), \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/strong> (grandfather), etc. These nouns decline as declension II.<\/p>\n

    Another important exception is the masculine word \u043f\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (path) which declines as nouns in group III.<\/p>\n

    Neuter nouns are also, almost all, belong to this declension. The exceptions here are the ten -\u043c\u044f nouns<\/a> and the word \u0434\u0438\u0442\u044f<\/span><\/strong> (a child). They all decline as nouns in group III.<\/p>\n

    Declension group II<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Nouns from all three genders – masculine, feminine, and neuter – can be in this group as long as they end in –<\/strong>\u0430<\/strong> or –<\/strong>\u044f<\/strong> (the ten –<\/strong>\u043c\u044f<\/strong> nouns and \u0434\u0438\u0442\u044f<\/span><\/strong> are exceptions, don\u2019t forget). Now, if you read through the comments on the genders post, you\u2019ll see some questions about how to decline diminutives of men\u2019s names, such as \u0421\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430<\/strong> (for \u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0434\u0440<\/strong>), \u0416\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u044f<\/strong> (for \u0415\u0432\u0433\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0439<\/strong>), \u041a\u043e<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044f<\/strong> (for \u041a\u043e\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u043d<\/strong>), etc. These all decline as group II.<\/p>\n

    Some other masculine nouns that belong to this group are the ones ending in –<\/strong>\u0430<\/strong> or –<\/strong>\u044f<\/strong> that diminish or magnify the original group I masculine nouns they are formed from, such as<\/p>\n

    \u043c\u0430\u043b\u044c\u0447\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0430<\/strong> is a diminutive of the group I masculine noun \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0447\u0438\u043a<\/strong> (boy)<\/p>\n

    \u0431\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/strong> is a diminutive of the group I masculine noun \u0431\u0440\u0430\u0442<\/strong> (brother)<\/p>\n

    \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0430<\/strong> (large house) is based on the group I masculine noun \u0434\u043e\u043c<\/strong> (house)<\/p>\n

    \u043f\u0430\u0440\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0430<\/strong> is a diminutive of the group I masculine noun \u043f\u0430\u0440\u0435\u043d\u044c<\/strong> (young lad)<\/p>\n

    Declension group III<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Feminine nouns that end in the combination of a consonant+ <\/strong>\u044c<\/strong> belong to this group along with the masculine \u043f\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/strong>, the ten –<\/strong>\u043c\u044f<\/strong> nouns and the neuter \u0434\u0438\u0442\u044f<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    And that\u2019s almost all there is to the fundamentals of Russian declensions. I say \u201calmost\u201d because of the compound words that start with \u043f\u043e\u043b-<\/strong> (half), as in \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0447\u0430\u0441\u0430<\/span><\/strong> (half an hour), \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0430<\/strong> (half a year), \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u0438<\/strong> (half a life), \u043f\u043e\u043b\u043f\u0443\u0442\u0438<\/span><\/strong> (midway), \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0431\u0443\u0442\u044b<\/span>\u043b\u043a\u0438<\/strong> (half a bottle), etc.<\/p>\n

    To figure out into which group these nouns will fall (or to determine their gender), you need to look at the gender and declension of the main part, or in the case of the above:<\/p>\n

    \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0447\u0430\u0441\u0430<\/span><\/strong> – masculine, group I – same as for \u0447\u0430\u0441<\/strong> (an hour)<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0430<\/strong> – masculine, group I – same as for \u0433\u043e\u0434<\/strong> (a year)<\/p>\n

    \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u0438<\/strong> – feminine, group III – same as for \u0436\u0438\u0437\u043d\u044c<\/strong> (a life)<\/p>\n

    \u041f\u043e\u043b\u043f\u0443\u0442\u0438<\/span><\/strong> – masculine, group III – same as for \u043f\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (a path, a way)<\/p>\n

    \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0431\u0443\u0442\u044b<\/span>\u043b\u043a\u0438<\/strong> – feminine, group II – same as for \u0431\u0443\u0442\u044b<\/span>\u043b\u043a\u0430<\/strong> (a bottle)<\/p>\n

    However, if the compound word is used to tell time and the main part of it is formed from an ordinal adjective, as in \u043f\u043e\u043b\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0432\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/strong> (twelve thirty), \u043f\u043e\u043b\u043f\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/strong> (half past four), etc, then you are in luck since case endings don\u2019t change, although you will hear Russians change them for Dative case in informal conversations:<\/p>\n

    \u041c\u044b <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u043c <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e<\/strong> or \u041c\u044b \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u043c \u043a \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0443<\/strong> (we will arrive at half past one)<\/p>\n

    \u041e\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u0443\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u0442 \u0441 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u044b \u0432 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u043f\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/strong> or \u041e\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u0443\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u0442 \u0441 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u044b \u043a \u043f\u043e\u043b\u043f\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u043c\u0443<\/strong> (she leaves work at half past four)<\/p>\n

    Once you figure out which word falls into which declension group, you\u2019ll just have to memorize declension tables. I say \u201cjust\u201d, but I do realize this can be a frustrating and confusing task for non-native speakers.<\/p>\n

    So I have a question to those of our readers who mastered the declensions – please, share your learning experience, any tips or tricks you might have – with those of us who are just approaching this intimidating grammar topic!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

    Do you remember the Gender of Russian Nouns post that appeared a few weeks ago? It generated the record number of comments and all of them contributed to the subject. So if, after reading the post itself, you have more questions than answers, then do check out the comments. Here\u2019s the thing though\u2026 I originally…<\/p>\n

    Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":2491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8,7828],"tags":[117481,117483,13332,117482,1237],"class_list":["post-2490","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language","category-russian-for-beginners","tag-beginner-russian","tag-gender-of-russian-nouns","tag-learning-russian-language","tag-russian-declensions","tag-russian-grammar"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2490"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6391,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2490\/revisions\/6391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}