In Russian, there are two important grammar rules that help us understand who owns what. These rules are called the nominative case and the genitive case. When you learn how to use these cases, it becomes easier to share your thoughts clearly.

Nominative Case

The nominative case (именительный падеж) is used for the subject of a sentence. This means it answers the questions "Who?" or "What?"

For example:

• Кто читает книгу? (Who is reading the book?)
• Мама готовит ужин. (Mom is cooking dinner.)

Genitive Case

The genitive case (родительный падеж) shows ownership or belonging. It answers the question "Whose?"

Here are some examples:

• Это книга Пети. (This is Petya's book.)
• У меня нет времени. (I have no time.)

Using Cases in More Complex Sentences

In more complicated sentences, these two cases help show how people and things are related. The genitive case is often used in extra parts of a sentence to explain ownership. Here’s how it works:

1. First Part - Nominative Case:
   • Там живёт сосед. (The neighbor lives there.)
2. Second Part - Genitive Case:
   • Я не знаю, кто он такой. (I don’t know what kind of person he is.)

Examples of Ownership

Here’s how to show ownership in longer sentences:

• Это книга, которая принадлежит Ване.

  • (This is the book that belongs to Vanya.)
  • In this sentence, книга is in the nominative case, while Ване is in the genitive case, showing who owns the book.

• У меня есть друг, имя которого я не помню.

  • (I have a friend whose name I don’t remember.)
  • Here, друг is in the nominative case, and имя is in the genitive case, again showing ownership.

Summary

• Nominative Case: Used for the subject of the sentence.
• Genitive Case: Shows ownership, especially in extra parts of a sentence.

By practicing these rules, you can better understand how to show ownership in more complex sentences. This will help you improve your skills in Russian grammar!