Learn Russian Genitive Case Usage

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Understanding the Russian Genitive Case
The Genitive Case in Russian is like a magical tool that helps us show relationships between things. It can tell us where something comes from, who it belongs to, and even how much of something there is.
Important Points
  • Showing possession or belonging
  • Indicating absence or lack of something
  • Describing a part of a whole
  • Expressing quantity or measure
  • Using with certain prepositions
  • Telling the time or date
Possession or Belonging
When you want to say that something belongs to someone, you use the Genitive Case. It's like saying 'the toy of the child' instead of 'the child's toy'.
Examples
  • Книга брата (The book of the brother)
  • Игрушка ребёнка (The toy of the child)
  • Сумка мамы (The bag of mom)
Indicating Absence or Lack
The Genitive Case helps us talk about things that are missing or not there. It's like saying 'I have no apples' instead of 'I have apples'.
Examples
  • У меня нет денег (I have no money)
  • Нет времени (No time)
  • Не было дождя (There was no rain)
Describing a Part of a Whole
When you want to say that something is a part of something bigger, you use the Genitive Case. It's like saying 'a piece of cake'.
Examples
  • Кусок торта (A piece of cake)
  • Чашка чая (A cup of tea)
  • Лист бумаги (A sheet of paper)
Expressing Quantity or Measure
The Genitive Case is used when you want to talk about how much of something there is. It's like saying 'a lot of water'.
Examples
  • Много воды (A lot of water)
  • Стакан молока (A glass of milk)
  • Килограмм яблок (A kilogram of apples)
Using with Certain Prepositions
Some prepositions in Russian are always followed by the Genitive Case. These include words like 'у' (at), 'без' (without), and 'для' (for).
Examples
  • У дома (At home)
  • Без сахара (Without sugar)
  • Для детей (For children)
Telling the Time or Date
The Genitive Case can also be used to talk about time. It's like saying 'before the evening' or 'after the party'.
Examples
  • До вечера (Before the evening)
  • После обеда (After lunch)
  • В течение недели (During the week)
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