Nouns: Animacy — Russian Grammar

Russian divides nouns into animate ones - people and animals - and inanimate ones - everything else. The difference is invisible in most of the grammar, but it decides one important form: the accusative case, the form of the direct object.

The Rule

An animate masculine noun in the singular, and an animate noun of any gender in the plural, takes the genitive form as its accusative. Inanimate nouns use the nominative form instead.

Inanimate: (Ya vízhu stol.Ja vížu stol.) - I see a table.
Animate: (Ya vízhu drúga.Ja vížu drúga.) - I see a friend.

Я смотрю́ фильм.
Ya smotryú fil'm.Ja smotrjú filʹm.
I'm watching a film.
Я люблю́ своего́ па́пу.
Ya lyublyú svoyegó pápu.Ja ljubljú svojegó pápu.
I love my dad.

In the Plural, All Genders

In the plural the rule covers feminine and neuter nouns too.

Inanimate: (Ya vízhu knígi.Ja vížu knígi.) - I see books.
Animate: (Ya vízhu sestyór.Ja vížu sestjór.) - I see the sisters.

Я люблю́ их кни́ги.
Ya lyublyú ikh knígi.Ja ljubljú ix knígi.
I love their books.

Feminine Nouns in the Singular

Feminine nouns in -а / -я have their own accusative ending -у / -ю, so animacy makes no difference to them in the singular.

Вы зна́ете э́ту соба́ку?
Vy znáyete étu sobáku?Vy znájete étu sobáku?
Do you know this dog?

Adjectives and Pronouns Follow

Adjectives, possessives and demonstratives that go with the noun follow the same rule, which is often the clearest place to hear it.

Я зна́ю э́того мужчи́ну.
Ya znáyu étogo muzhchínu.Ja znáju étogo mužčínu.
I know this man.
Я ви́дел твоего́ дру́га.
Ya vídel tvoyegó drúga.Ja vídel tvojegó drúga.
I saw your friend.
Ты зна́ешь хоро́ший рестора́н?
Ty znáyesh' khoróshiy restorán?Ty znáješʹ xoróšij restorán?
Do you know a good restaurant?

Pronouns

The personal pronouns always take the genitive form as their accusative, regardless of what they refer to: (menyámenjá), (tebyátebjá), (yegójegó), (yeyójejó), (nas), (ikhix).

Я люблю́ их, и они́ лю́бят меня́.
Ya lyublyú ikh, i oní lyúbyat menyá.Ja ljubljú ix, i oní ljúbjat menjá.
I love them, and they love me.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Russian course

95 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 20. A few of them, with the words “Nouns: Animacy” is about in bold:

Я покупаю один банан и шесть яиц.
Ya pokupáyu odín banán i shest' yaíts.Ja pokupáju odín banán i šestʹ jaíc.
I am buying one banana and six eggs.
Lesson 43
Я купила десяток яиц и для тебя шоколадку тоже.
Ya kupíla desyátok yaíts i dlya tebyá shokoládku tózhe.Ja kupíla desjátok jaíc i dlja tebjá šokoládku tóže.
I bought a dozen eggs and a candy bar for you too.
Lesson 47
Я пошла в торговый центр.
Ya poshlá v torgóvyy tsentr.Ja pošlá v torgóvyj centr.
I went to the shopping mall.
Lesson 172

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