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