The genitive case (родительный падеж) primarily indicates ownership or attribution – i.e. the word “of.” That means the genitive is also used to denote the apostrophe “s” we use in English.
Uses of the genitive case
Genitive with possession and relationship
- Possession
- Брат Ивана любит читать газету. = Ivan’s brother loves to read the newspaper.
- Relationships
- Этот бывший член коммунистической партии и атеист уверовал после прочтения Библии. = A former Communist Party member and atheist, Zhao converted after reading the Bible.
- The whole in relation to the part
- Это берег реки. = This is the bank of the river.
- The agent of an action or process
- Это было первое выступление артиста в этой стране. = It is the artist's first presentation in that country.
- Descriptive attributes
- Час обеда настал и стол был накрыт. = It was lunchtime and every table was packed.
- The second item in a comparison
- Она моложе брата. = She is younger than her brother
- The object of regret (with жаль)
- Мне жаль денег на покупку сайта. = I wish I had the money to buy the site.
Genitive with numbers
The genitive is used in numbers greater than one.
Numbers ending in one take the nominative or accusative.
- Дай мне двадцать один доллар. = Give me 21 dollars.
- Один мальчик читает. = One boy is reading.
Numbers ending in two, three, four end in the genitive singular.
- Две рубля. = Two books.
- Три собаки. = Three roubles.
- Четыре газеты. = Four newspapers.
Numbers ending in five, six, seven, eight, nine, zero, and the teens end in the genitive plural.
- Мне восемнадцать лет. = I am 18 years old.
- Десять долларов. = Ten dollars.
- Сто рублей. = One hundred roubles.
Quantity words: words denoting quantity take the genitive plural as well.
- Сколько тебе лет? = How old are you?
- В Москве есть много достопримечательностей. = In Moscow there are many tourist sites.
Genitive with quantities
The genitive is used with many words denoting quantity in Russian. For example:
- Маркс проигрывал много денег на бирже. = Marx lost a lot of money in the stock market.
- Сколько лет Ричарду? = How old is Richard?
- Это не просто несколько людей, имеющих определенные проблемы. = It's not just a few people that have some issues.
- Этого времени хватает для значимых изменений. = This time is enough for significant changes.
- Я зарабатываю достаточно для нас обоих. = Yes, I do. I earn enough for both of us.
Quantity words that use the genitive in Russian
- мало = few
- много = many, much
- немало = not a little
- немного = not many, not much
- несколько = a few
- сколько = how many, so much
- столько = so many, so much
- достаточно = enough
- недоставать = to be insufficient
- скопить = to accumulate
- хватать / хватить = to be enough
Partitive genetive to say some of something
Generally, where you would use the word "some" in English, you should use the genitive case in Russian. For example:
- Я выпил молока. = I drank some milk
- Он налил гостям вина. = He poured his guests some wine.
- Она хочет воды. = She wants some water.
Genitive meaning to have – “у”
The genitive case is also used in the common impersonal possessive construction of the expression “to have” – “у” + genitive. When you say “I have something” in Russian, you are literally saying “there is to me something.” For example:
- У меня есть книга. = I have book.
- У нее есть собака. = She has a dog.
- У меня нет компьютера. = I do not have a computer.
- У вас нет будет проблем. = You will not have any problems.
Genitive with negative constructions
Negative expressions in Russian use the negative case – literally meaning “not / none of something.” This applies to all tenses: "нет" (there is not), "не было" (there was not), and "не будет" (there will not be).
For example:
- У меня нет книги. = I don’t have the book.
- У нее нет собаки. = She doesn’t have a dog.
- Его нет дома. = He isn’t home.
- У меня не было денег. = I didn’t have money.
- Летом в Техасе нет дождей. = In Summer there is no rain in Texas.
- Я не вижу стола. = I do not see a (any) table. (Accusative would be fine here for the context of a specific table).
- Он не прочитал ни одной книги. = He has not read a single book
Genitive with adjectives
As a general rule, you should use the genetive form of a noun in Russian if the adjective associated with it has a sense of being worthy (достойный), lacking in (лишённый), full (полный), or devoid (чуждый). For example:
- Он нёс сумку, полную яблок. = He carried a bag full of apples.
- Ведь каждый из номинируемых фильмов действительно достоин награды. = Each one of the nominated films deserves an award.
- Мне больно это говорить, но ваш муж чуждый честолюбия. = It pains me to say this, but your husband has no ambition.
Irregular phrases where the genitive end in "-у”
It used to be much more common for masculine nouns which denoted substances to have two genitive endings: "-а/-я" and "-у/-ю." However, the use of this "-у" ending is decreasing, and it is almost always possible and correct to use the more typical "-а" ending for the genitie masculine.
That being said, here are common phrases and idioms where the "-у" ending is still in full use for the genitive.
- до зарежу нужно = very necessary
- ни ражи = not once
- ни слуху ни духу = neither sight nor sound
- ни шагу назад = not a step back
- сбоку на бок = from side to side
- с глазу на глаз = tete-a-tet
- танвевать по упаду = to dance till you drop
- упускать из виду = to lose site of
- умереть с голоду = to die from hunger
- крикнуть с испугу = to scream with fright
- прыснуть со смеху = to burst out laughing
Verbs that take the genitive
Verbs that take the genitive case generally belong to four main categories:
- Verbs of asking, waiting, seeking, or achieving
- Verbs of fearing or avoiding
- Verbs of depriving
- Verbs denoting conformity or noncomformity
- Касаться (to touch)
Genitive verbs of asking, waiting, seeking, or achieving
Some of these verbs only take the negative (bolded), some do not. As a general rule, if the verb denotes a general or abstract concept, use the genitive here.
- добиваться успеха = to strive for success
- достигать своей цели = to achieve one's aim
- жаждать славы = to crave glory
- желать счастья = to desire happiness
- заслуживать пожвалы = to deserve praise
- ждать ответа / приказа / режения = to await an answer / order / decision
- искать возможности / помощи = to seek an opportunity / help
- ожидать случая / автобуса = to wait for an opportunity / a bus
- просить помощи / прощения = to ask for help / forgiveness
- требовать внимания / прибавки / книг = To demand attention / an increment / some books
- хотеть мира = to want peace
To note, in well wishing phrases, they are in the negative case because the verb желать (to wish) is understood to be within them, even if silently.
- Счастливого пути! = Have a great trip / bon voyage!
- Счастливого Рождества! = Happy Christmas!
- И вам того же! = And the same to you!
Genitive verbs of fearing or avoiding
These verbs typically take the genitive case in abstract contexts. Where the context is more specific, use the accusative.
- бояться темноты / грозы = to be afraid of the dark / a thunderstorm
- избегать неприятностей = to avoid trouble
- пугаться грома = to be scared of thunder
- стесняться общества = to shun society
- сторониться недобрых людей = to shun wicked people
- стыдиться своего вида = to be ashamed of your appearance
- чуждаться дурной компании = to avoid bad company
Genitive verbs of depriving
Here, we're really just talking about the verb "to deprive" (лишать / лишаться).
- лишать родительских прав = to deprive of parental rights
- лишаться свободы = to be deprived of one's freedom
Genitive verbs denoting conformity or noncomformity
These verbs typically take the genitive case in abstract contexts. Where the context is more specific, use the accusative.
- держаться мнения = to stick to one's opinion
- ослушиваться приказа = to disobey an order
- придерживаться точки зрения = to hold a point of view
- слушаться совета = to heed advice
Касаться (to touch)
касаться стола / вопроса = to touch the table / on a question
More info on the Russian cases
