The instrumental case in Russian is an important part of the language. It helps us express “with” or “by means of,” showing how an action is done.

When using plural nouns in the instrumental case, it can be a bit tricky. The endings change depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter. It's important to know the gender of the noun to make the right changes.

Instrumental Case Forms for Plural Nouns

1. Understanding Gender:

• Masculine Nouns: These usually end in a consonant. They can be names of both living and non-living things.

• Feminine Nouns: These usually end in -a, -я, or -ь.

• Neuter Nouns: These usually end in -o or -e.

2. Endings for Plural Instrumental Case:

• Masculine: For plural masculine nouns, you usually add -ами.
  • Example:
    • Стол (table) becomes столами (with tables) in the instrumental case.
• Feminine: Feminine plural nouns also add -ами, but only for some nouns.
  • Example:
    • Книга (book) changes to книгами (with books) in the instrumental case.
• Neuter: Neuter nouns follow the same rule as masculine, also using -ами.
  • Example:
    • Окно (window) turns into окнами (with windows) in the instrumental plural.

Summary of Endings

| Gender | Nominative Plural | Instrumental Plural | |-------------|-------------------|---------------------| | Masculine | столы (tables) | столами (with tables) | | Feminine | книги (books) | книгами (with books) | | Neuter | окна (windows) | окнами (with windows) |

Sentences Using the Instrumental Case

To really understand how to use these forms, let's look at some sentences.

1. Masculine Nouns:

   • Sentence: Мы гордимся новыми столами. (We are proud of the new tables.)
   • In Instrumental: Мы пишем с новыми столами. (We are writing with the new tables.)

2. Feminine Nouns:

   • Sentence: Она занимается новыми книгами. (She is working with new books.)
   • In Instrumental: Она учится с новыми книгами. (She is studying with new books.)

3. Neuter Nouns:

   • Sentence: Они играют с новыми окнами. (They play with new windows.)
   • In Instrumental: Мы смотрим через новые окна. (We look through the new windows.)

Key Takeaways

• The instrumental case shows how plural nouns change based on their gender.

• Feminine nouns often use the endings -ами or -ями depending on the noun.

• To practice, try changing sentences from other cases into the instrumental plural.

Remember, using these rules and examples will help you understand instrumental plural nouns in Russian better!