In Russian, there's something called the genitive case. It's really important because it helps us show who owns what. This can be about people or things. If you want to talk about who has something, knowing how to use the genitive case is essential.

1. What is the Genitive Case?

The genitive case is kind of like saying "of" in English. It helps us explain ownership. For example, if I say, "This is Masha's book," the word "Masha's" tells us the book belongs to Masha. In Russian, we use the genitive case to say this.

2. Animate Nouns in the Genitive Case

When we talk about living things (like people or pets), we change the end of the noun based on whether it’s male or female and if it’s singular or plural.

Here are the rules:

• For singular masculine nouns:

  • If the word ends with a soft sound (that’s a consonant followed by "я" or "ь"), we change the end to "я." (e.g., папа → папы).
  • If it ends with a hard sound, we usually change it to "а." (e.g., Сергей → Сергея).

• For singular feminine nouns:

  • We usually change the ending to "ы" or "и." (e.g., сестра → сестры).

• For plural nouns (both male and female):

  • We add "ов" or "ей," depending on the gender. (e.g., дети → детей, коты → котов).

Examples:

• Masculine: Это книга Сергея. (This is Sergey’s book.)
• Feminine: Это игрушка Марины. (This is Marina’s toy.)
• Plural: Это игрушки детей. (These are the children’s toys.)

3. Inanimate Nouns in the Genitive Case

Now, when we talk about objects (things), the genitive case rules change a little bit.

Here are the rules:

• For singular masculine nouns:

  • If it ends with a consonant, change it to "а." (e.g., стол → стола).

• For singular feminine nouns:

  • Usually change "а" to "ы" or "и." (e.g., книга → книги).

• For singular neuter nouns:

  • Usually, we drop the "о" and add "а" or "я." (e.g., окно → окна).

• For plural nouns (all genders):

  • Like with animate nouns, we add "ов," "ей," or a different ending based on the word. (e.g., книги → книг, дома → домах).

Examples:

• Masculine: Это стол моего друга. (This is my friend’s table.)
• Feminine: Это страница книги. (This is a page of the book.)
• Neuter: Это окно машины. (This is the car's window.)
• Plural: Это страницы книг. (These are the pages of the books.)

4. Summary and Practice

To get better at using the genitive case and showing who owns what, pay attention to how words end. Knowing these patterns will help you express ownership correctly in Russian.

Practice Sentences:

1. Это фото __________ (мой брат).
2. У меня есть книга __________ (Лена).
3. Это игрушки __________ (девочка).

By practicing these rules with different nouns, you'll improve your skills in using the genitive case for showing possession in Russian!