Russian cases cheat sheet.
All 6 cases on one page: noun endings for masculine, feminine, and neuter, the prepositions that trigger each case, and example sentences.
Noun endings by case
| Case | Question | Masculineстол, конь | Feminineкнига, дверь | Neuterокно, море | Pluralall genders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NominativeИм. | кто? что? | — / -ь | -а / -я / -ь | -о / -е | -ы / -и / -а / -я |
| GenitiveРод. | кого? чего? | -а / -я | -ы / -и | -а / -я | -ов / -ев / -ей / —Fem. often just the bare word |
| DativeДат. | кому? чему? | -у / -ю | -е / -и | -у / -ю | -ам / -ям |
| AccusativeВин. | кого? что? | no change / -а, -яBeings take an ending | -у / -ю / -ь | -о / -еno change | no change / specialBeings take an ending |
| InstrumentalТв. | кем? чем? | -ом / -ем | -ой / -ей / -ью | -ом / -ем | -ами / -ями |
| PrepositionalПр. | о ком? о чём? | -е / -и | -е / -и | -е / -и | -ах / -ях |
This sheet is the short version. The Russian cases table on the hub adds the soft endings, the plural, and three words declined in full.
Key prepositions by case
Location (где?) = Prepositional
One example per case
5 rules that cover 80% of cases
- 1Subject = Nominative. Whoever does the action stays in dictionary form. Мама готовит.
- 2Direct object = Accusative. Whoever receives the action. Я вижу книгу. But: animate masculine nouns borrow Genitive endings (Я вижу брата).
- 3"Of" or "no" = Genitive. Possession (книга брата), absence (нет воды), after numbers 5+ (пять книг).
- 4"To someone" = Dative. Indirect objects, age (мне 25 лет), feelings (мне холодно).
- 5"In" or "on" + location = Prepositional. в школе, на работе. But direction to = Accusative: в школу, на работу.
Drill these cases until they stick
The sheet shows the endings. Typing them in sentences is what makes them automatic. Slova teaches each case in a short lesson, then drills all 6 cases in fill-in-the-blank sentences and shows the rule after every answer. About 1,300 words, A1 to B1, with a 7-day free trial.
Russian cases cheat sheet: common questions
Is there a printable Russian cases chart?
Yes. Download the PDF: all 6 cases on one A4 page, with the noun endings, the prepositions for each case, one example per case and the 5 rules. It is free and needs no account.
How do I know which Russian case to use?
Look at the word before the noun. A preposition, a verb or a number decides the case: в школе (v shkole) - at school takes the prepositional, без воды (bez vody) - without water takes the genitive, and читаю книгу (chitayu knigu) - I'm reading a book takes the accusative. The 5 rules on the sheet cover most sentences.
Which Russian case is the hardest?
Most learners find the genitive hardest. It has the most jobs (possession, absence, numbers, many prepositions) and the least regular plural. Start with the nominative and accusative, then the prepositional.