Nouns: Instrumental Case — Russian Grammar

The instrumental case answers the questions with what? and by what means?. It also has two important jobs that have nothing to do with tools: it follows the preposition с meaning together with, and it describes what someone is or becomes.

Endings

Masculine and neuter: -ом or -ем - (drug) - (drúgom), (otétsotéc) - (ottsómotcóm)
Feminine in -а / -я: -ой or -ей - (sobáka) - (sobákoysobákoj)
Feminine in -ь: -ью - (dver'dverʹ) - (dvér'yudvérʹju)
Plural: -ами or -ями - (glazámi), (druz'yámidruzʹjámi)

The personal pronouns are (mnoymnoj), (tobóytobój), (im), (yeyjej), (námi), (vámi), (ími).

The Instrument

The tool or means used to do something is in the instrumental, without a preposition.

Я пишу́ ру́чкой.
Ya pishú rúchkoy.Ja pišú rúčkoj.
I'm writing with a pen.
Я ем ло́жкой.
Ya yem lózhkoy.Ja jem lóžkoj.
I'm eating with a spoon.

Together With: с

С with the instrumental means with, together with.

Та же́нщина идёт со свое́й соба́кой.
Ta zhénshchina idyót so svoyéy sobákoy.Ta žénščina idjót so svojéj sobákoj.
That woman is walking with her dog.
Потанцу́йте с на́ми.
Potantsúyte s námi.Potancújte s námi.
Dance with us.
Чай с молоко́м.
Chay s molokóm.Čaj s molokóm.
Tea with milk.

Being and Becoming

After (byt'bytʹ) in the past, future and infinitive, and after (stat'statʹ), (stanovít'syastanovítʹsja) and (rabótat'rabótatʹ), the noun or adjective that describes the subject is in the instrumental.

Она́ рабо́тает официа́нткой.
Oná rabótayet ofitsiántkoy.Oná rabótajet oficiántkoj.
She works as a waitress.
Ты вы́глядишь больны́м.
Ty výglyadish' bol'ným.Ty výgljadišʹ bolʹným.
You look ill.
Я хочу́ стать врачо́м.
Ya khochú stat' vrachóm.Ja xočú statʹ vračóm.
I want to become a doctor.

Position

Five prepositions of position take the instrumental:

(nad) - above
(pod) - under
(péred) - in front of, before
(za) - behind
(mézhduméždu) - between

Ко́шка под столо́м.
Kóshka pod stolóm.Kóška pod stolóm.
The cat is under the table.
Я пе́ред две́рью.
Ya péred dvér'yu.Ja péred dvérʹju.
I'm in front of the door.
Рестора́н нахо́дится над вокза́лом.
Restorán nakhóditsya nad vokzálom.Restorán naxóditsja nad vokzálom.
The restaurant is above the station.
Я чи́щу зу́бы пе́ред сном.
Ya chíshchu zúby péred snom.Ja číšču zúby péred snom.
I brush my teeth before bed.

Verbs That Take the Instrumental

A few verbs take their object in the instrumental: (zanimát'syazanimátʹsja) (to do, be busy with), (interesovát'syainteresovátʹsja) (to be interested in), (vladét'vladétʹ) (to have command of).

Я занима́юсь спо́ртом.
Ya zanimáyus' spórtom.Ja zanimájusʹ spórtom.
I do sport.
Я владе́ю ру́сским и ара́бским.
Ya vladéyu rússkim i arábskim.Ja vladéju rússkim i arábskim.
I speak Russian and Arabic.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Russian course

32 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 25. A few of them, with the words “Nouns: Instrumental Case” is about in bold:

В июле река становится очень тёплой.
V iyúle reká stanóvitsya óchen' tyóploy.V ijúle reká stanóvitsja óčenʹ tjóploj.
In July, the river becomes very warm.
Lesson 409
У меня сегодня свидание. Она работает официанткой.
U menyá segódnya svidániye. Oná rabótayet ofitsiántkoy.U menjá segódnja svidánije. Oná rabótajet oficiántkoj.
I have a date tonight. She works as a waitress.
Lesson 439
Я приму ванну перед сном.
Ya primú vánnu péred snom.Ja primú vánnu péred snom.
I'll take a bath before going to bed.
Lesson 481

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