Before we talk about Genitive case of Russian numbers, first of all, let us talk a little bit about Genitive case generally. In Russian language, there are six cases. One of them is Genitive case. In this case, described about the change of nouns based on some situations, such as telling about someones’s ownership in negation, one phrase that contain two nouns then the second noun changed into Genitive case, etc. The change for this case is in the suffix of noun, differentiated on the genders (masculine, feminine, and neutral).
Genitive Case for Singular
[table]
[tr][th]Thing or Human (Singular)[/th] [th]Nominative Case[/th] [th]Genitive Case[/th] [th]Ending[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Masculine[/td] [td]Журнал[/td] [td]Журнала[/td] [td]- а[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Преподаватель[/td] [td]Преподавателья[/td] [td]- я[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Feminine[/td] [td]Сестра[/td] [td]Сестры[/td] [td] – ы[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Тетрадь[/td] [td]Тетради[/td] [td]- и[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Neutral[/td] [td]Письмо[/td] [td]Письма[/td] [td] – а[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Море[/td] [td]Моря[/td] [td]- я[/td][/tr]
[/table]
For examples:
- У меня есть книга. ‘I have a book.’
- У меня нет книги. ‘I do not have a book.’
Genitive Case for Plural
This type could be used for plural numbers 5-20 and for the words: много ‘much/many’, немного ‘little’, мало ‘few’, and сколько ‘some’.
[table]
[tr][th]Gender[/th] [th]Nominative Singular[/th] [th]Nominative Plural (Много)[/th] [th]Suffix[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Masculine[/td] [td]Врачи[/td] [td]Врачей[/td] [td]- ей[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Студенты[/td] [td]Студентов[/td] [td]- ов[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Братья[/td] [td]Братьев[/td] [td]- ьев[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Герои[/td] [td]Героев[/td] [td]- ев[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Feminine[/td] [td]Ручки[/td] [td]Ручек[/td] [td]Removed/Changed[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Книги[/td] [td]Книг[/td] [td]Cell_Content[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Полки[/td] [td]Полок[/td] [td]Cell_Content[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Площади[/td] [td]Площадей[/td] [td]Cell_Content[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Neutral[/td] [td]Слова[/td] [td]Слов[/td] [td]Removed/Changed[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Окна[/td] [td]Окно[/td] [td]Cell_Content[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Числа[/td] [td]Чисел[/td] [td]Cell_Content[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Cell_Content[/td] [td]Моря[/td] [td]Морей[/td] [td]Cell_Content[/td][/tr]
[/table]
For example : У меня много книг. ‘I have many books.’
Adjective in Genitive Case
|
Gender and Number of People |
Adjective |
Genitive Case (какого, какой, каких) |
Suffix |
| Masculine | Старый
‘Old’ |
У тебя нет старого карандаша
‘You do not have an old pencil’ |
– ого
– его |
| Feminine | Старая
‘Old’ |
У него нет сиарой книги
‘He does not have an old book’ |
– ой
– ей |
| Plural | Старые
‘Old’ |
У меня нет старых одежд
‘I do not have old clothes’ |
– ых
– их |
The Usage of Genitive Case in Russian Numbers
We already know the change in suffix of nouns for Genitive case. Now, we are going to talk about the situations that could use Genitive case in Russian numbers. The change for numbers is based only on masculine gender. There are several questions that refer to it.
- Точная Дата ‘The Accurate Date’
The accurate date could be used in three periods (past tense, present tense, and simple future). The answer for the question of Какое сегодня число? is using the ordinal numbers for neutral gender in Nominative case. Meanwhile, the name of month and year use the Genitive case. For example:
– Какое сегодня число? ‘What is the date today?
Cегодня тридцать первое декабря две тысячи семнадцатого года. ‘Today is December 31st, 2017. - Дата в письме ‘The Date in a Letter’
For examples:
– Labeling the date on the letter:
3/III-95 г or 3 марта 1995 г ‘3 March of 1995’.
(третьего марта тысяча девятьсот девяносто пятого года ‘third March of one thousand nine hundreds ninety five).
– Calling the date of the letter:
Письмо от третьего марта тысяча девятсот девяносто пятого года ‘A letter from third March of one thousand nine hundreds ninety five’. - Точная Дата События ‘The Accurate Date of Event’
For examples:
– Когда была принята Конституция Российской Федерации? ‘When was the Constitution of the Russian Federation accepted?’
Конституция Российской Федерации была приняиа двенадцатого декабря тысяча девятьсот девяносто третьего года.
‘The Constitution of Russian Federation was accepted in December twelfth of one thousand nine hundreds ninety three.’
– Когда ты возвращаешься? ‘When do you return?’
Я возвращаюсь двадцатого фебраля. ‘I return on twentieth February.’
– Когда вы родились? ‘When were you born?’
Я родилась двадцатого фебраля тысяча девятьсот девяносто пятого года. ‘I was born on twentieth February, one thousand nine hundreds ninety five.’
When you answer the question of ‘Когда?’, the ordinal numbers which remark the accurate date, are used without preposition.
Those are the explanation about Genitive case of Russian numbers. It is only a simple discussion. You also could take a look at an explanation about Russian numbers in Numbers in Russian Language. You will find more descriptions about numbers in Russian language. And for you, the beginners in Russian language, could take a sneak peek in this article first, How to Learn Russians for Beginners or Basic Russian Words for Beginners. I hope you would get some benefits from this discussion. Have a nice day!