{"id":3077,"date":"2012-06-19T08:00:39","date_gmt":"2012-06-19T08:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=3077"},"modified":"2012-06-18T04:05:55","modified_gmt":"2012-06-18T04:05:55","slug":"instrumental-case-revisited","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/instrumental-case-revisited\/","title":{"rendered":"Instrumental Case Revisited"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple of days ago, \u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0440\u043e\u043c<\/strong> (in the evening), I sat down \u0441 \u0444\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0430\u043b\u044c\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u043e\u043c<\/strong> (with a photo album) in my hands. I love looking through old pictures, especially those \u0441\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0435 \u043c\u043e\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u0438 \u0440\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044f\u043c\u0438<\/strong> (taken by my parents). For some reason I have lots of photos from when I was \u043c\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0446\u0435\u043c<\/strong> (a baby) and then again, \u0432 \u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0432\u043e\u043c \u043a\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u0435<\/strong> (in the first grade). The pictures got me thinking about who I wanted to be when I was little. Together \u0441 \u043c\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u0439 \u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0448\u0435\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u0439<\/strong> (with my best friend) we often dreamed of becoming either \u0437\u043d\u0430\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u043c\u0438 \u0430\u043a\u0442\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0430\u043c\u0438<\/strong> ( famous actresses) or \u0443\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u043c\u0438<\/strong> (teachers). We thought we\u2019d make excellent teachers since would not load our students with \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u043d\u0435\u0439 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0439<\/strong> (homework).<\/p>\n

Why am I telling you all this? Mostly because every single Russian noun you see in the above paragraph is in instrumental case. And every one of these nouns is an example of different instances in which instrumental case should be used.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s quickly review them all, starting with the last one, \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u043d\u0435\u0439 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0439<\/strong> (homework). Here I use instrumental case to explain the instrument which will be used to carry out a particular action, the verb “to load”.<\/p>\n

\u0423\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430 \u0437\u0430\u0433\u0440\u0443\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0430 \u043d\u0430\u0441 \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u043d\u0435\u0439 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0439<\/strong> (Teacher loaded us with homework)
\n\u042f \u043c\u043e<\/span>\u044e \u043f\u043e\u043b \u0448\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0439<\/strong> – I am cleaning the floor with a mop – a mop is a tool I use for cleaning
\n\u041c\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0447\u0438\u043a \u043a\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0440\u044f<\/span>\u043b \u0432 \u043d\u043e\u0441\u0443<\/span> \u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0446\u0435\u043c<\/strong> – A boy picked his nose with his finger – a finger is an instrument the boy uses for picking his nose
\n\u0427\u0435\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043a\u043e\u0442 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u0439 \u0443\u043b\u044b<\/span>\u0431\u043a\u043e\u0439, \u0430 \u041a\u043e\u0442 \u0432 \u0448\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u043f\u0435 – \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u0439 \u0448\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u043f\u043e\u0439<\/strong> (Cheshire cat is famous for his smile, while Cat in the Hat – for his hat) – a smile and a hat are both instruments by which the cats get their fame.
\n\u0423\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u043c \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u044e \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> – Russia cannot be understood by mind alone – mind alone is not a sufficient instrument for understanding<\/p>\n

Oftentimes you will hear something like this:
\n\u042f \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u044e \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0446\u043e<\/span>\u043c \u0432 \u043c\u0430\u0433\u0430\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0435 \u0431\u044b\u0442\u043e\u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0445 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0432<\/strong> – I work as a sales person at an appliances store.
\n\u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u044f \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u043b \u043c\u043e\u044e<\/span> \u0436\u0435\u043d\u0443<\/span>, \u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u0442\u0430\u043d\u0446\u043e\u0432\u0449\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u0435\u0439 \u0432 \u043a\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0431\u0435<\/strong> – When I met my wife, she worked as a dancer at a club.
\n\u0421\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u0441 \u044f – \u0434\u043e\u043c\u043e\u0445\u043e\u0437\u044f<\/span>\u0439\u043a\u0430, \u0430 \u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u044c\u0448\u0435 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u043c\u0435\u0434\u0441\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0439<\/strong> – Now I am a housewife, but I used to work as a nurse.<\/p>\n

Here, instrumental case is used for the noun \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0446<\/strong> (sales person). Of course, were I simply state \u042f – \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0446<\/strong> (I am a sales person), no instrumental case would be needed. However, since I am using the verb \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to work) in the example above, putting my occupation in instrumental case becomes a must. Think of your occupation as a tool, an instrument with which you work.<\/p>\n

Instrumental case is also used when we talk about a change of status. For example, when children talk about \u043a\u0435\u043c \u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span> \u0445\u043e\u0442\u044f<\/span>\u0442 \u0431\u044b\u0442\u044c, \u043a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0443\u0442<\/strong> (who they want to be when they grow up), they use instrumental case:<\/p>\n

\u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u044f \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0443, \u044f \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0443 \u043a\u043e\u0441\u043c\u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0442\u043e\u043c<\/strong> – When I grow up, I will be a cosmonaut
\n\u042f \u0435\u0449\u0451<\/span> \u043d\u0435 \u0440\u0435\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0430, \u043a\u0435\u043c \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0443 – \u0431\u0430\u043b\u0435\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u0432\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u043c<\/strong> – I haven\u2019t decided yet who I am going to be, a ballerina or a veterinarian.
\n\u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u044f \u0431\u044b\u043b \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0435\u043d\u044c\u043a\u0438\u043c [\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0451\u043d\u043a\u043e\u043c], \u044f \u0431\u043e\u044f<\/span>\u043b\u0441\u044f \u0442\u0435\u043c\u043d\u043e\u0442\u044b<\/span><\/strong> – When I was little, I was afraid of the dark. Most of the time the noun \u0440\u0435\u0431\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u043e\u043c<\/strong> (child) is omitted, but implied.
\n\u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/span> \u044f \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0443 \u0432\u0437\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u044b\u043c, \u0443 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0442 \u043c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e \u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0435\u0433<\/strong> – When I will be a grown-up, I will have lots of money.<\/p>\n

Adults use the \u201cchange of status\u201d instrumental case a lot too:<\/p>\n

\u0415<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u0438 \u0442\u044b \u043d\u0435 \u0432\u043e\u0437\u044c\u043c\u0451<\/span>\u0448\u0441\u044f \u0437\u0430 \u0443\u043c, \u0442\u043e \u0442\u044b \u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0435\u0448\u044c \u043d\u0435 \u043a\u043e\u0441\u043c\u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0442\u043e\u043c, \u0430 \u0434\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u043c<\/strong> – If you don\u2019t get your act together, you will be a street-sweeper, not a cosmonaut.
\n\u041e\u043d \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b \u0437\u0430\u0432\u0441\u0435\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u0435\u043c \u044d<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0437\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/strong> – He became a regular at this establishment
\n\u042f \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u043b\u0441\u044f \u0441 \u0433\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0439 \u0431\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u044e \u0438 \u043d\u0430 \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0443 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0448\u0451<\/span>\u043b \u0441\u043e\u0432\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u043c \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b<\/span>\u043c<\/strong> – I woke up with a headache and came to work totally sick. (here \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u043c is instrumental of \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0439<\/strong>, a sick person).<\/p>\n

You will also need instrumental case when you are asking for or offering something with something else:<\/p>\n

\u0447\u0430\u0439 \u0441 \u0441\u0430\u0445\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u043c<\/strong> – tea with sugar
\n\u0431\u0443\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0431\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434 \u0441 \u043a\u043e\u043b\u0431\u0430\u0441\u043e<\/span>\u0439<\/strong> – sandwich with lunch meat
\n\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0430 \u0441 \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u043e\u043c<\/strong> – \u201cfig with butter\u201d – a whole lot of nothing or a big nothing<\/p>\n

Similarly, if talking about people, you would say:<\/p>\n

\u044f \u0441 \u0434\u0440\u0443\u0437\u044c\u044f<\/span>\u043c\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0448\u0451<\/span>\u043b \u0432 \u043a\u0438\u043d\u043e<\/span><\/strong> – my friends and I went to the movies
\n\u041f\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430 \u0441 \u041c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0435\u0439 \u0435\u043b \u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0443<\/strong> – Pasha and Masha ate kasha
\n\u043c\u044b \u0441 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u0439 \u0438\u0433\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u0432 \u043a\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/strong> – my friend and I played hopscotch
\n\u0432 \u043a\u0430\u0431\u0438\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0442 \u0437\u0430\u0448\u0451<\/span>\u043b \u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a \u0441 \u0437\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u043e\u043c<\/strong> – the boss and his deputy walked into the office<\/p>\n

Perhaps confusingly, instrumental case is also used when talking about a time when action occurs:<\/p>\n

\u042f \u0441\u0445\u043e\u0436\u0443<\/span> \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0442\u0443 \u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0440\u043e\u043c<\/strong> – I will go to the post office in the morning. Here, instrumental case is used to explain when the action takes place – \u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0440\u043e\u043c<\/strong> (in the morning).
\n\u0412\u0435\u0447\u0435\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0438 \u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span> \u043f\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043e \u0438 \u043e\u0431\u0441\u0443\u0436\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/strong> – Evenings they spent nursing beer and discussing the news. Now, let\u2019s crank up the instrumental case in this sentence: \u0412\u0435\u0447\u0435\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0438 , c \u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u043c \u0432 \u0440\u0443\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0445, \u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span> \u043e\u0431\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c \u043d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044f<\/span>\u043c\u0438<\/strong> (In the evenings, with beer in their hands, they exchanged news).<\/p>\n

This post, \u043d\u0430\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043c\u043d\u043e\u0439<\/strong> (written by me), would be incomplete, if I didn\u2019t mention the use of instrumental case with the passive voice:<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0442\u043e \u043d\u0430\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0430\u043d\u043e \u043f\u0435\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043c, \u043d\u0435 \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u0443\u0431\u0438\u0442\u044c \u0442\u043e\u043f\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043c<\/strong> – What is written with a pen cannot be chopped with an ax.
\n\u0412\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0440\u043e\u043c \u043d\u0430\u043c\u0435\u043b\u043e<\/span> \u0433\u043b\u0443\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u0441\u0443\u0433\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u044b<\/strong> – Deep snow banks were swept up by the wind
\n\u0422\u0435\u043c\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0443 \u0441\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e \u044d<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u043c \u043b\u0435\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u043c<\/strong> – Temperature was lowered only with this medicine.
\n\u0424\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0444\u0438\u044f \u0431\u044b\u043b\u0430<\/span> \u0441\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u0430 \u043c\u043e\u0438<\/span>\u043c \u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0448\u0438\u043c \u0434\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u043c<\/strong> – A picture was taken by my best friend.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s really all there is to the instrumental case. And now, it\u2019s time to practice:<\/p>\n

\u041a\u0435\u043c \u0432\u044b \u0445\u043e\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0438 \u0431\u044b\u0442\u044c, \u043a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430 \u0431\u044b\u043b\u0438 \u0440\u0435\u0431\u0451\u043d\u043a\u043e\u043c?<\/strong> – Who did you want to be as a child?
\n\u041a\u0435\u043c \u0432\u044b \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0442\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0435 \u0441\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430\u0441?<\/strong> – What is your job?
\n\u0427\u0442\u043e \u0432\u044b \u0434\u0435\u043b\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0435 \u0443\u0442\u0440\u043e\u043c?<\/strong> – What do you do in the morning?
\n\u0421 \u0447\u0435\u043c \u0432\u044b \u0435\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0435 \u0431\u043b\u0438\u043d\u0447\u0438\u043a\u0438? \u0410 \u0431\u0443\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b?<\/strong> – What do you eat pancakes with? What about sandwiches?
\n\u041a\u0435\u043c \u043d\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0441\u0430\u043d\u0430 \u0432\u0430\u0448\u0430 \u043b\u044e\u0431\u0438\u043c\u0430\u044f \u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0430?<\/strong> – Who wrote your favorite book?<\/p>\n

If you comment with your answers, I will make sure to respond with corrections, explanations and words of encouragement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A couple of days ago, \u0432\u0435\u0447\u0435\u0440\u043e\u043c (in the evening), I sat down \u0441 \u0444\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0430\u043b\u044c\u0431\u043e\u043c\u043e\u043c (with a photo album) in my hands. I love looking through old pictures, especially those \u0441\u043d\u044f\u0442\u044b\u0435 \u043c\u043e\u0438\u043c\u0438 \u0440\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044f\u043c\u0438 (taken by my parents). For some reason I have lots of photos from when I was \u043c\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0446\u0435\u043c (a baby) and then again, \u0432…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8,7828],"tags":[117481,117607,8152,13099,1237,8206],"class_list":["post-3077","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-language","category-russian-for-beginners","tag-beginner-russian","tag-examples-of-instrumental-case","tag-instrumental-case","tag-learn-russian","tag-russian-grammar","tag-russian-nouns"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077","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=3077"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11263,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077\/revisions\/11263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}