Nouns: Nominative Case — Russian Grammar

Russian nouns change their ending according to their role in the sentence. These forms are called cases, and Russian has six of them. The nominative is the basic one: the form you find in a dictionary.

The Subject

The subject of a sentence - the person or thing that does the action or is described - is in the nominative.

Мужчи́на ест.
Muzhchína yest.Mužčína jest.
The man is eating.
Такси́ ждёт.
Taksí zhdyot.Taksí ždjot.
The taxi is waiting.
Со́лнце све́тит в класс.
Sólntse svétit v klass.Sólnce svétit v klass.
The sun is shining into the classroom.

Saying What Something Is

In the present tense, where Russian uses no verb to be, the noun that says what the subject is also stays in the nominative.

Он учи́тель.
On uchítel'.On učítelʹ.
He is a teacher.
Э́то мужчи́на.
Éto muzhchína.Éto mužčína.
This is a man.

After э́то (éto) and вот (vot)

(Éto) (this is) and (vot) (here is) introduce a noun in the nominative.

Э́то моя́ подру́га, А́нна.
Éto moyá podrúga, Ánna.Éto mojá podrúga, Ánna.
This is my friend Anna.
Вот два́дцать до́лларов.
Vot dvádtsat' dóllarov.Vot dvádcatʹ dóllarov.
Here are twenty dollars.

The Thing Liked, Needed or Owned

In the constructions with (nrávit'syanrávitʹsja), (núzhennúžen) and (u menyá yest'u menjá jestʹ), the thing liked, needed or owned is the grammatical subject, so it is nominative.

Мне нра́вится му́зыка.
Mne nrávitsya múzyka.Mne nrávitsja múzyka.
I like music.
У меня́ есть маши́на.
U menyá yest' mashína.U menjá jestʹ mašína.
I have a car.

Naming

Lists, labels, titles and answers to "what is it?" use the nominative.

Что э́то? Э́то ста́рое ра́дио.
Chto éto? Éto stároye rádio.Čto éto? Éto stároje rádio.
What is it? It's an old radio.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Russian course

205 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 2. A few of them, with the words “Nouns: Nominative Case” is about in bold:

Это моя подруга, Анна. Она студентка.
Éto moyá podrúga, Ánna. Oná studéntka.Éto mojá podrúga, Ánna. Oná studéntka.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
Эта вода холодная. Та вода горячая.
Éta vodá kholódnaya. Ta vodá goryáchaya.Éta vodá xolódnaja. Ta vodá gorjáčaja.
This water is cold. That water is hot.
Lesson 68
Здравствуйте, Доктор. У меня проблема.
Zdrávstvuyte, Dóktor. U menyá probléma.Zdrávstvujte, Dóktor. U menjá probléma.
Hello, Doctor. I have a problem.
Lesson 91

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