Relative Clauses with 'который' — Russian Grammar

(KotóryyKotóryj) means who, which or that in a clause that describes a noun: the man who lives here, the book that I bought. It declines like an adjective.

Gender and Number From the Noun

(KotóryyKotóryj) takes its gender and number from the noun it refers to.

(kotóryykotóryj) - masculine
(kotórayakotóraja) - feminine
(kotóroyekotóroje) - neuter
(kotóryyekotóryje) - plural

Э́то мужчи́на, кото́рый живёт здесь.
Éto muzhchína, kotóryy zhivyót zdes'.Éto mužčína, kotóryj živjót zdesʹ.
This is the man who lives here.
Э́то же́нщина, кото́рая рабо́тает в ба́нке.
Éto zhénshchina, kotóraya rabótayet v bánke.Éto žénščina, kotóraja rabótajet v bánke.
This is the woman who works in a bank.
Где кни́ги, кото́рые я купи́л?
Gde knígi, kotóryye ya kupíl?Gde knígi, kotóryje ja kupíl?
Where are the books I bought?

Case From the Clause

Its case depends on its role in its own clause.

Э́то кни́га, кото́рую я чита́ю.
Éto kníga, kotóruyu ya chitáyu.Éto kníga, kotóruju ja čitáju.
This is the book I'm reading.
Э́то друг, кото́рому я звони́л.
Éto drug, kotóromu ya zvoníl.Éto drug, kotóromu ja zvoníl.
This is the friend I called.
Э́то го́род, в кото́ром я живу́.
Éto górod, v kotórom ya zhivú.Éto górod, v kotórom ja živú.
This is the town I live in.

Never Left Out

English often drops that: the book I bought. Russian never leaves (kotóryykotóryj) out, and the clause is always set off by a comma.

Prepositions Come First

A preposition always goes before (kotóryykotóryj), never at the end of the clause.

Э́то де́вушка, с кото́рой я учу́сь.
Éto dévushka, s kotóroy ya uchús'.Éto dévuška, s kotóroj ja učúsʹ.
This is the girl I study with.

кто (kto) and что (chto)

After (tot) and (vsyovsjo), (kto) and (chtočto) are used instead.

Э́то всё, что у меня́ есть.
Éto vsyo, chto u menyá yest'.Éto vsjo, čto u menjá jestʹ.
That's all I have.

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