In Russian, we use something called the accusative case to show what or who is being acted upon by a verb. This changes a bit based on whether the noun (the person, place, or thing) is alive or not. Let’s break it down into simpler parts.

How to Tell Them Apart

1. Inanimate Nouns:

   • These nouns stay the same as in the nominative case.
   • Example:
     • Nominative: "стул" (stool)
     • Accusative: "Я вижу стул." (I see the stool.)

2. Animate Nouns:

   • These nouns usually look like the genitive case.
   • Example:
     • Nominative: "пёс" (dog)
     • Accusative: "Я вижу пса." (I see the dog.)

Quick Review

• For Inanimate Nouns: The accusative form is just like the nominative form.
• For Animate Nouns: The accusative form is different and looks more like the genitive form.

It’s important to understand these differences for using the accusative case correctly in Russian.