Eugenia Nekrasova
A Basic Modern Russian Grammar
PERSONAL PRONOUNS |
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Russian personal pronouns are as follows: |
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Singular |
Plural |
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1. ÿ - I |
1. ìû - we |
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2. òû - you (informal), âû - you (formal) 2. |
âû - you |
- (referring to |
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3. îí - he, it, îíà - she, it, îíî - it |
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îíè - they |
more than one) |
THE USE OF òû AND âû
The use of òû and âû in Russian, when referring to one person, presents a certain difficulty for a foreign learner.
Here you may find the main guidelines:
Talking to strangers in public places
adult & child |
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adult & teenager or young person |
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òû |
âû |
âû,òû |
âû |
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adult & adult |
young person & young person |
âû |
âû,òû |
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middle-aged adult & elderly person
âû 
òû
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Part 5 |
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page 62 |
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The Declension of Names, Geographic Names and noun-replacing Pronouns
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A Basic Modern Russian Grammar |
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Nekrasova |
Talking to a familiar person |
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friends and relatives always use òû |
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òû |
òû |
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friend & friend |
òû |
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Eugenia |
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òû |
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relative & relative |
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at work |
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same status |
different status |
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younger person & older person |
lower status & higher status |
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âû,òû |
âû |
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The choice depends |
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òû is used seldom |
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on many factors! |
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at kindergartens, schools, colleges and universities |
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kindergarten |
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school |
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child & teacher |
schoolchild & teacher |
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âû |
òû |
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âû |
òû |
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Part 5 |
page 63 |
The Declension of Names, Geographic Names and noun-replacing Pronouns
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A Basic Modern Russian Grammar |
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Nekrasova |
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college or university |
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student & teacher |
student & student |
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âû |
âû,òû |
âû,òû |
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Eugenia |
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òû |
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children and teenagers use only òû to each other.
If òû is used instead of âû to an unknown adult |
h |
in a public place, it can be taken for an insult. |
Notice! |
Referring to God, nature and animals we use òû. |
òû |
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THE DECLENSION OF THE PERSONAL AND OTHER
NOUN-REPLACING PRONOUNS
All the pronouns can be divided into
2 groups
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First group |
Second group |
Pronouns |
Pronouns |
used as words |
replacing nouns |
characterizing nouns |
and proper names |
Part 5 |
page 64 |
The Declension of Names, Geographic Names and noun-replacing Pronouns
Eugenia Nekrasova
A Basic Modern Russian Grammar
The first group was described in Part 1 and Part 2.
Now I will describe the second group.
Among these pronouns are:
the personal pronouns îí/îíà/îíî/îíè/ÿ/òû/ìû/âû,
the Interrogative/Relative pronouns êòî/÷òî,
the Indefinite pronouns based on êòî/÷òî,
the Reflexive pronoun ñåáÿ,
the Nominative pronoun ýòî,
the generalizing words like âñ¸, âñå.
THE DECLENSION OF THE PERSONAL PRONOUNS
The third-person pronouns îí «he, it», îíî «it», îíà «she, it»,
îíè «they»
A noun is replaced by these pronouns depending on the formally
established gender. |
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Same pronouns are used both |
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for the animate and inanimate objects. |
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The case forms are as follows: |
Notice! |
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The case forms of îí «he, it»
Nom. Ýòî ìîé äðóã. = îí Gen.
This is my friend.
Dat.
or
Acc.
Instr.
Prep.
Part 5
Ó íåãî есть машина. He has a car.
ß åäó ê íåìó летом.
I will visit him in the summer. Я звонил åìó утром.
I called him in the morning.
ßвстретил åãî в Париже. I met him in Paris.
ßучился ñ íèì в школе. We went to school together.
ßчасто î í¸ì думаю.
I often think of him.
page 65
The Declension of Names, Geographic Names and noun-replacing Pronouns
Eugenia Nekrasova
A Basic Modern Russian Grammar
Nom. Ýòî ìîé äîì. = îí Gen. Около него есть стоянка. This is my house. There is a parking neat it.
Dat. Ê íåìó подъехал большой автобус.
A big bus came up to it.
Acc. Åãî построили 20 лет назад.
It was built 20 years ago.
Instr. Çà íèì есть стоянка.
There is a parking behind it.
Prep.  í¸ì 6 подъездов.
There are 6 entrances in it.
The same case forms has the Neuter pronoun îíî «it». |
h |
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Notice! |
The case forms of îíà «she, it» |
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Nom. Âîò моя подруга. = îíà
Here is my (girl)friend.
Gen.
Dat.
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Acc.
Instr.
Prep.
Ó íå¸ есть собака. She has a dog.
Я поеду ê íåé летом.
I will go to her in the summer.
ßпозвоню åé завтра. I will call her tomorrow.
ßвидела å¸ вчера.
I saw her yesterday. ß åäó ñ íåé в Париж.
I will go to Paris with her. Я думаю î íåé вс¸ время.
Part 5 |
page 66 |
The Declension of Names, Geographic Names and noun-replacing Pronouns
Eugenia Nekrasova
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A Basic Modern Russian Grammar |
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Pronouns |
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Nom. Âîò ìîÿ äà÷à. = îíà Gen. Около не¸ есть большое озеро. |
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Here is my summer cottage. |
There is a big lake near it. |
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Мы подъехали ê íåé рано утром. |
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Dat. |
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We drove up to it early in the morning. |
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Acc. Мы построили å¸ много лет назад. |
nounreplacing- |
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We built it many years ago. |
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Instr. Перед íåé большой сад. |
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There is a big garden in front of it. |
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Prep. ß æèâó íà íåé только летом. |
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and |
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I live in it only in the summer. |
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h |
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The case forms take initial í- when governed by a preposition: |
Names |
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ó íåãî/åãî, ê íåé/åé etc. |
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Notice! |
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The case forms of the pronoun îíè - «they» |
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Geographic |
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Nom. Ýòî мои друзья. = îíè |
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These are my friends. |
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Gen. |
ß æèë ó íèõ летом. |
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I stayed with |
them in the summer. |
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Dat. |
Я поеду ê íèì завтра. |
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Names, |
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I will go to them tomorrow. |
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or |
Я звонил èì вчера. |
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I called them yesterday. |
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of |
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Acc. |
Я встретил èõ в Лондоне. |
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Declension |
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I met them in London. |
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Instr. |
ß åäó ñ íèìè в Париж. |
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I will go with |
them to Paris. |
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Prep. Я часто думаю î íèõ. |
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I often think of them. |
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The |
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Part 5 |
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page 67 |
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Eugenia Nekrasova
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A Basic Modern Russian Grammar |
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Pronouns |
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Nom. Ýòî новые районы = îíè |
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These are the new regions. |
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Gen. Около них обычно есть лес. |
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There is usually a forest near them. |
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Dat. Ê íèì ид¸т одна большая дорога. |
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There is one big road going to them. |
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Acc. |
Я не люблю èõ. I don`t like them. |
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Instr. |
Между ними и метро обычно ходит автобус. |
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There is usually a bus line between them and a metro station. |
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noun |
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 íèõ нет метро. They don`t have a metro line. |
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The case forms of ÿ «I, me» |
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Names |
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Gen. |
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Ó ìåíÿ нет машины. I have no car. - Special case! |
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Dat. |
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Он не звонил ìíå. He didn`t call me. |
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Он приедет êî ìíå завтра. |
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Geographic |
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He will come to me tomorrow. |
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Acc. |
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Îí ìåíÿ не знает. He doesn`t know me. |
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Instr. |
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Îí åäåò ñî ìíîé. He goes with me. |
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Prep. |
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Джон говорил îáî ìíå? Did John speak of me? |
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The case forms of òû «you» (informal) |
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Names, |
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Gen. Ó òåáÿ есть машина? - Special case! |
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Do you have a car? |
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of |
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Dat. |
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Я позвоню òåáå завтра. I`ll call you tomorrow. |
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TheDeclension |
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Я приеду ê òåáå завтра. I`ll come to you tomorrow. |
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Acc. Я люблю òåáÿ. I love you. |
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Instr. Я поеду с тобой. I`ll go with you. |
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Prep. Я часто думаю î òåáå. I often think of you. |
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Gen. = Acc. h |
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Dat. = Prep. |
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Notice! |
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Part 5 |
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page 68 |
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Nekrasova |
A Basic Modern Russian Grammar |
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The case forms of âû «you» - polite singular or plural form |
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Gen. |
Ó âàñ åñòü ôàêñ? - Specialcase! |
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Do you have a fax machine? |
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Dat. |
Я позвоню âàì. |
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Eugenia |
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I`ll call you. |
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Я приеду ê âàì завтра. |
âû |
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I will come to you tomorrow. |
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Acc. |
ß âàñ íå çíàþ. |
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I don`t know you. |
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Instr. |
Я поеду ñ âàìè. |
âû |
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I`ll go with you. |
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Prep. |
Я много слышал î âàñ. |
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I heard much of you. |
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The case forms of ìû «we»
ìû
Gen. Ó íàñ нет машины. - Special case! We don`t have a car.
Dat. Он не звонил íàì. He didn`t call us.
Он приедет ê íàì завтра. He will come to us tomorrow.
Acc. Îíè íàñ не знают.
They don`t know us.
Instr. Îíè åäóò ñ íàìè.
They go with us.
Prep. Îíè î íàñ ничего не знают.
They don`t know anything about us.
Part 5 |
page 69 |
The Declension of Names, Geographic Names and noun-replacing Pronouns
Eugenia Nekrasova
A Basic Modern Russian Grammar
SUMMARY TABLE OF THE THIRD-PERSON PERSONAL PRONOUNS
îí, îíî |
Nom. |
îíà |
åãî |
Acc. |
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å¸ |
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M, N F |
M, N |
F |
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Pl |
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Pl |
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îíè |
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èõ |
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ó íåãî (åãî) |
Gen. |
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ó íå¸ (å¸) |
Instr. |
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M, N |
F |
ñ íåé (åé) |
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ñ íèì (èì) M, N |
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Pl |
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ó íèõ (èõ) |
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ñ íèìè (èìè) |
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Dat. |
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Prep. |
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ê íåìó (åìó) |
M, N |
F |
ê íåé (åé) |
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â í¸ì |
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M, N |
F â íåé |
Pl
Pl
ê íèì (èì)
â íèõ
THE DECLENSION OF THE PRONOUNS êòî/÷òî
The Interrogative/Relative pronoun êòî refers to people. It is used both in the direct questions like:
Êòî ýòî? Who is that person? and in the indirect ones:
Он спросил, êòî поедет в Киев. He asked who would go to Kiev.
Here are the case forms of êòî:
Nom. Êòî этот человек? Who is that man?
Gen. Ó êîãî есть машина? Who has a car?
Dat.
Êîìó вы это говорили? Whom did you tell it? Ê êîìó вы едете? Whom are you going to?
Acc. Êîãî вы здесь знаете? Whom do you know here? Instr. Ñ êåì вы едете? Whom are you going with? Prep. Î êîì вы говорили? Whom are you talking about?
Part 5 |
page 70 |
The Declension of Names, Geographic Names and noun-replacing Pronouns
Eugenia Nekrasova
A Basic Modern Russian Grammar
The Interrogative / Relative pronoun ÷òî
÷òî refers to a thing, animal or an action
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×òî ýòî? What is that? |
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×òî это такое? What is that? |
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×òî он делает? What is he doing? |
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Like êòî, ÷òî can be used both in direct and indirect questions: |
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Nom. ×òî ýòî? What is that? |
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Gen. ×åãî вы боитесь? What are you afraid of? |
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Dat. ×åìó он он так радуется? What is he delighted with? |
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Acc. ×òî вы любите? What do you like? |
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Instr. ×åì вы недовольны? What are you dissatisfied with? |
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Prep. Î ÷¸ì вы думаете? What are you thinking about? |
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The case forms of êòî and ÷òî are similar |
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to the Masculine adjectival endings. |
Notice! |
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The combination ÷òî ýòî çà?
This combination is used as an equivalent of the pronoun
especially when the answer with a specifying word is expected, as in:
-×òî ýòî çà здание? What kind of building is it?
-Это театр.
The combination is used only in the Nominative of all genders and numbers.
Compare:
S.×òî ýòî çà передача? What kind of program is it?
Pl. ×òî ýòî çà ëþäè?
What kind of people are they?
Part 5 |
page 71 |
The Declension of Names, Geographic Names and noun-replacing Pronouns