\u2013 \u00ab\u0412\u044b\u043b\u0435\u0437\u0430\u0439 \u0438\u0437-\u043f\u043e\u0434 \u043a\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u0438, \u043f\u043e\u0434\u043b\u044b\u0439 \u0442\u0440\u0443\u0441!\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n\u2013 \u201cSo, how did your argument yesterday with your wife turn out?\u201d
\n\u2013 \u201cOh, she came crawling to me on her knees\u2026\u201d
\n\u2013 \u201cAnd what did she say?\u201d
\n\u2013 \u201cClimb out from under that bed, you low-life coward!\u201d<\/p>\n
David, our sharp-eyed reader and an occasional contributor, asked why in the third line of the joke the genitive \u0447\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong> is used instead of the accusative \u0447\u0442\u043e<\/strong>.<\/p>\nLet\u2019s see if there\u2019s a grammar rule that tells us when to use accusative case and when to use genitive after verbs. First, a short quiz (not graded and totally voluntary).<\/p>\n
Look at the pairs of sentences below and try to determine which ones are grammatically correct and which ones aren\u2019t:<\/p>\n
\u042f \u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044e \u043a\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0443<\/strong> or \u042f \u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044e \u043a\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0430<\/strong> – I am reading a book<\/p>\n\u041e\u043d \u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0434\u044b\u0439 \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c \u0436\u0434\u0430\u043b \u043d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0439<\/strong> or \u041e\u043d \u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0434\u044b\u0439 \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c \u0436\u0434\u0430\u043b \u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/strong> – Every day he waited for the news<\/p>\n\u042f \u0436\u0434\u0443 \u0442\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u044f<\/strong> or \u042f \u0436\u0434\u0443 \u0442\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0439<\/strong> – I am waiting for a streetcar<\/p>\n\u042f \u0436\u0434\u0443 \u0442\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u044f \u21163<\/strong> or \u042f \u0436\u0434\u0443 \u0442\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0439 \u21163<\/strong> – I am waiting for a #3 streetcar<\/p>\n\u0427\u0442\u043e \u0442\u044b \u043e\u0442 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> \u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0448\u044c<\/strong> or \u0427\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span> \u0442\u044b \u043e\u0442 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> \u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0448\u044c<\/strong> – What do you want from me?<\/p>\n\u0422\u044b \u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0448\u044c \u043f\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044c \u0441\u0443\u043f?<\/strong> or \u0422\u044b \u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0448\u044c \u043f\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044c \u0441\u0443<\/span>\u043f\u0430?<\/strong> – Do you want to eat soup?<\/p>\n\u041d\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u044c \u043a\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0431\u0443\u0445\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0430 \u0445\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u0430<\/strong> or \u041d\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u044c \u043a\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0431\u0443\u0445\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0443 \u0445\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u0430<\/strong> – Don\u2019t forget to buy a loaf of bread<\/p>\n\u041d\u0430\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0432\u0438\u043d\u0430<\/span><\/strong> or \u041d\u0430\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u0432\u0438\u043d\u043e<\/span><\/strong> – Pour me some red wine<\/p>\nOk, I think it\u2019s enough now. You get the picture. Sure, the first one, \u042f \u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044e \u043a\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0443<\/strong>, is easy. But the others seem like they can go either way. In fact, you will hear all of the above frequently in both daily conversations and more official communications. Yet just as \u042f \u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044e \u043a\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0430<\/strong> is grammatically incorrect, one of the sentences in each pair also does not conform to the rules of Russian grammar.<\/p>\nIntrigued? Confused? Want to know more? Read on…<\/p>\n
The rule<\/strong><\/span> that governs the use of genitive and accusative cases after verbs is actually very simple:<\/p>\nIf a verb is transitive, then use the accusative case.<\/strong>
\nIf a verb is intransitive, then use the genitive case.<\/strong><\/p>\nIsn\u2019t it just about the easiest rule in the whole entire Russian grammar? Well, if it were, I wouldn\u2019t be writing about it.\u00a0Let’s see if there’s more to it than meets the eye.<\/p>\n
Some verbs are easy:<\/p>\n
\u041b\u044e\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to love), \u043d\u0435 \u043b\u044e\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to not love), \u043d\u0435\u0434\u043e\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0431\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to dislike) are all transitive<\/span>. When we love or loath, we love or loath something or someone, an object of our love or loathing. According to the above rule, this object must be in accusative case:<\/p>\n\u042f \u043b\u044e\u0431\u043b\u044e<\/span> \u0434\u0435\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u044b<\/strong> – I love crime fiction novels
\n\u041e\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0431\u0438\u0442 \u043c\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u043d\u043e\u0435<\/strong> – She loves ice-cream
\n\u041e\u043d \u043d\u0435\u0434\u043e\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0431\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0442\u0451<\/span>\u0449\u0443<\/strong> – He somewhat dislikes his mother-in-law<\/p>\n\u0411\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to beat) is also transitive<\/span> and needs an object which must be in accusative case:<\/p>\n\u042f \u0446\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044b\u0439 \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c \u0431\u044c\u044e \u0431\u0430\u043a\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0448\u0438<\/strong> – All day long I am dawdling (lit. beating or striking wood chips).
\n\u041c\u0438<\/span>\u0448\u0443 \u043f\u043e\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438 \u0432 \u0448\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0435<\/strong> – Misha got beaten up at school. (Misha is the object here)
\n\u041c\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0447\u0438\u043a \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u043b \u043e\u043a\u043d\u043e<\/span><\/strong> – A boy broke a window<\/p>\n\u0415<\/span>\u0445\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to go), \u0438\u0434\u0442\u0438<\/span><\/strong> (to go), \u0441\u0438\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to sit), on the other hand, are\u00a0intransitive<\/span> since you can\u2019t \u201cgo something\u201d. Instead you go \u201csomewhere\u201d. Most verbs of motion are intransitive, they have no object on which they act or which they transform.<\/p>\nReturning to the quiz:<\/p>\n
\u0427\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to read) is transitive<\/span>, therefore accusative must be used:<\/p>\n\u042f \u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044e \u043a\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0443.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u0415\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to eat) is also transitive<\/span>, therefore<\/p>\n\u0422\u044b \u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0448\u044c \u043f\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044c \u0441\u0443\u043f?<\/strong> is correct.<\/p>\n\u041a\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to buy) is transitive<\/span> and we should say<\/p>\n\u041d\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u044c \u043a\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0431\u0443\u0445\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0443 \u0445\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u0430.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u0425\u043e\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to want) is transitive<\/span>, so the correct choice is \u0427\u0442\u043e \u0442\u044b \u043e\u0442 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> \u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0448\u044c?<\/strong><\/p>\nAnd \u043d\u0430\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to pour) is also transitive<\/span>, so the correct answer is \u041d\u0430\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u0432\u0438\u043d\u043e<\/span><\/strong>. Or is it? Apply breaks here because that\u2019s where the simple rule \u201ctransitive verb = accusative case\u201d gets a bit more complicated.<\/p>\nIf a verb is transitive, then use accusative case UNLESS the object is a part of a large whole OR you are using negation in which case use genitive case.<\/strong><\/p>\nUsually, when we ask someone to pour us wine, we mean a glass of wine which is a part of a larger whole (a bottle). So we will need to use genitive. Compare:<\/p>\n
\u041d\u0430\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u0431\u043e\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043b \u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0432\u0438\u043d\u0430<\/span><\/strong> (Pour me a glass of red wine) – Here the object is \u0431\u043e\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043b<\/strong> (glass) which is in accusative.<\/p>\n\u041d\u0430\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0432\u0438\u043d\u0430<\/span><\/strong> (Pour me some red wine) – Wine is the object and since we are asking for some wine, not the whole bottle or barrel, we\u2019ll use genitive.<\/p>\n\u0420\u0430\u0437\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u0432\u0438\u043d\u043e<\/span> \u043f\u043e \u0431\u043e\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0430\u043c<\/strong> (Pour wine into glasses) – Here wine is again the object, but the implication is that the entire quantity is being poured into glasses. So we\u2019ll use accusative.<\/p>\nAnd finally, we have only the sentences with the verb \u0436\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (to wait). Well, \u0436\u0434\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> is transitive<\/span>… but (you knew this was coming, didn\u2019t you)…<\/p>\n… but, if the verb is transitive , use accusative UNLESS the object is abstract or has some degree of uncertainty about it, in which case use genitive.<\/strong><\/p>\nConsider:<\/p>\n
\u041e\u043d \u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0434\u044b\u0439 \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c \u0436\u0434\u0430\u043b \u043d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0439<\/strong> – Every day he waited for news (any news; we\u2019re not sure what kind of news he was waiting for)<\/p>\n\u042f \u0436\u0434\u0443 \u0442\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u044f<\/strong> – I am waiting for a streetcar (any streetcar)<\/p>\n\u042f \u0436\u0434\u0443 \u0442\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0439 \u21163<\/strong> – I am waiting for a #3 streetcar (a particular streetcar)<\/p>\nGoing back to the joke, \u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0442\u044c is transitive, so the proper way of phrasing it would be \u0438\u00a0\u0447\u0442\u043e \u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0430<\/strong> (and what did she say). Using the grammatically incorrect \u0447\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong> here adds to the humorous situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Back in August Rob did a post about Russian \u0430\u043d\u0435\u043a\u0434\u043e\u0442\u044b (jokes). One of the jokes went like this: \u2013 \u00ab\u041d\u0443, \u0438 \u0447\u0435\u043c \u0432\u0447\u0435\u0440\u0430 \u0437\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0447\u0438\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c \u0442\u0432\u043e\u044f \u0441\u0441\u043e\u0440\u0430 \u0441 \u0436\u0435\u043d\u043e\u0439?\u00bb \u2013 \u00ab\u041e, \u043e\u043d\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0437\u043b\u0430 \u043a\u043e \u043c\u043d\u0435 \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u043e\u043b\u0435\u043d\u044f\u0445\u2026\u00bb \u2013 \u00ab\u0418 \u0447\u0435\u0433\u043e \u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u043b\u0430?\u00bb \u2013 \u00ab\u0412\u044b\u043b\u0435\u0437\u0430\u0439 \u0438\u0437-\u043f\u043e\u0434 \u043a\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u0438, \u043f\u043e\u0434\u043b\u044b\u0439 \u0442\u0440\u0443\u0441!\u00bb \u2013 \u201cSo, how did your argument yesterday with…<\/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":[3794,1084,253000,1237,252999],"class_list":["post-3731","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-language","category-russian-for-beginners","tag-accusative-case","tag-genitive-case","tag-intransitive-verb","tag-russian-grammar","tag-transitive-verb"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3731","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=3731"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11253,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3731\/revisions\/11253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}