Lesson 019

The Genitive case with singular nouns

In the previous lesson we introduced you to the Genitive case. Next two lessons are dedicated to forming the Genitive case. Today we are covering the Genitive with the singular nouns.

So let’s look at how Russian nouns change in the Genitive case…

Masculine nouns

For masculine nouns ending in …

… a consonant -> add a
й -> replace with я
ь -> replace with я

дом – до́ма (house)
за́яц – за́йца (hare)
нож – ножа́ (knife)
край – кра́я (edge)
конь – коня́ (horse)

Feminine nouns

For feminine nouns ending in …

а -> replace with ы, but
ка, жа, ша, ча, ща, га, ха -> replace а with и
я -> replace with и
ь -> replace with и

луна́ – луны́ (moon)
грани́ца – грани́цы (boundary)
рука́ – руки́ (hand)
неде́ля – неде́ли (week)
ста́нция – ста́нции (station)
дверь – две́ри (door)

Russian Pod 101

Neuter nouns

For neuter nouns ending in …

о -> replace with а
е -> replace with я, but
це, же, ше, ще -> replace е with а

лицо́ – лица́ (face)
окно́ – окна́ (window)
де́рево – де́рева (tree)
зда́ние – зда́ния (building)
со́лнце – со́лнца (sun)
жили́ще – жили́ща (dwelling)
варе́нье – варе́нья (jam)

Russian Pod 101

Disappearing letters

Do you remember the words with disappearing vowels that we discussed in the lesson about the plural in Russian? These words behave the same in the Genitive and other cases:

день – дня (day)
пода́рок – пода́рка (present / gift)

Exceptions

There is a certain number of Russian words that don’t exactly follow the rules we discussed above. These are the words-exceptions, and you need to memorize them as you see them. For example:

путь – пути́ (way)
вре́мя – вре́мени (time)
и́мя – и́мени (name)

Genitive case singular nouns memo chart

ending or description how to change examples
masculine
a consonant + а дом - до́мa
й -й / +я край – кра́я
ь -ь / +я конь – коня́
feminine
а -а / +ы луна́ – луны́
ка, га, ха, жа, ша, ща, ча -а / +и рука́ – руки́, ко́жа – ко́жи
я -я / +и ста́нция – ста́нции
ь -ь / +и дверь – две́ри
neuter
о -о / +а лицо́ – лица́
е -е / +я варе́нье – варе́нья
це, же, ше, ще -е / +а жили́ще – жили́ща
blankblank

Practice today’s examples with the audio track. We continue to learn Russian in the next lesson. See you there!

The offline version of this lesson is available here

Start the quiz
  • Question # 1
    Make it Genitive: ночь (night)
    • но́чи
    • но́чы
    • но́ча
    • но́чя
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 2
    Make it Genitive: шампу́нь (shampoo)
    • шампу́на
    • шампу́ня
    • шампу́ни
    • шампу́ну
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 3
    Make it Genitive: вре́мя (time)
    • вре́меня
    • вре́мена
    • вре́мени
    • вре́мены
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 4
    Make it Genitive: лека́рство (medicine)
    • лека́рствы
    • лека́рстви
    • лека́рства
    • лека́рствя
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 5
    Make it Genitive: ве́чер (evening)
    • ве́чера
    • ве́черя
    • ве́чери
    • ве́черу
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 6
    Make it Genitive: горшо́к (pot)
    • горшо́ки
    • горшки́
    • горшка́
    • горшо́ка
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 7
    Make it Genitive: зверь (animal)
    • зве́ра
    • зве́ря
    • зве́ри
    • зве́ру
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 8
    Make it Genitive: маши́на (car)
    • маши́на
    • маши́ны
    • маши́ни
    • маши́ня
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 9
    Make it Genitive: голова́ (head)
    • голови́
    • головы́
    • голова́
    • головя́
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 10
    Make it Genitive: кре́сло (arm chair)
    • кре́слы
    • кре́сли
    • кре́сла
    • кре́сля
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 11
    Make it Genitive: стол (table)
    • стола́
    • столя́
    • столи́
    • столу́
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 12
    Make it Genitive: су́мка (bag)
    • су́мкы
    • су́мкя
    • су́мки
    • су́мка
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 13
    Make it Genitive: рай (paradise)
    • ра́а
    • ра́я
    • рай
    • ра́и
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 14
    Make it Genitive: по́мощь (help)
    • по́мощи
    • по́мощы
    • по́моща
    • по́мощя
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 15
    Make it Genitive: упражне́ние (exercise)
    • упражне́ниа
    • упражне́ния
    • упражне́нии
    • упражне́ниы
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 16
    Make it Genitive: шко́ла (school)
    • шко́ла
    • шко́лы
    • шко́ля
    • шко́ли
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 17
    Make it Genitive: блю́до (dish)
    • блю́дя
    • блю́ди
    • блю́ды
    • блю́да
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 18
    Make it Genitive: пода́рок (present / gift)
    • пода́рока
    • пода́рка
    • пода́ркя
    • пода́рокя
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 19
    Make it Genitive: гру́ша (pear)
    • гру́шя
    • гру́шы
    • гру́ши
    • гру́ша
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 20
    Make it Genitive: вода́ (water)
    • вода́
    • води́
    • водя́
    • воды́
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 21
    Make it Genitive: зной (heat)
    • зно́а
    • зно́я
    • зно́и
    • зной
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 22
    Make it Genitive: пого́да (weather)
    • пого́ды
    • пого́да
    • пого́дя
    • пого́ди
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 23
    Make it Genitive: здоро́вье (health)
    • здоро́вья
    • здоро́вьа
    • здоро́вьи
    • здоро́вьы
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 24
    Make it Genitive: день (day)
    • де́на
    • де́ня
    • дня
    • дна
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 25
    Make it Genitive: соба́ка (dog)
    • соба́ка
    • соба́кя
    • соба́ки
    • соба́кы
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 26
    Make it Genitive: и́мя (name)
    • и́мы
    • и́мени
    • и́ми
    • и́мены
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 27
    Make it Genitive: стака́н (glass)
    • стака́на
    • стака́ня
    • стака́ни
    • стака́ну
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 28
    Make it Genitive: растение (plant)
    • расте́ния
    • расте́ниа
    • расте́нии
    • расте́ниы
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 29
    Make it Genitive: путь (way)
    • пута́
    • путя́
    • пути́
    • пти
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
    Next
  • Question # 30
    Make it Genitive: пиро́г (pie)
    • пироги́
    • пирогы́
    • пирога́
    • пирогя́
    Answered: 0 out of 30
    Correct answers: 0 (0%)
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