The Genitive Case: Possession, Absence, and More
The Genitive case indicates possession (like 'of' or 's), absence (with без - without), origin (with из/с - from), or location at/having ('at' or 'have' with у). Its primary role is showing belonging or relation, or being required by certain prepositions.
Nouns: Endings vary based on gender, number, and hard/soft stem.
- Singular Masculine/Neuter: ending -а (animate/concrete inanimate) / -у (abstract/collective inanimate) / -я (soft) / -я (after vowel). (e.g., дом бра́та - brother's house, кни́га учи́теля - teacher's book, окно́ го́рода - city window, цвет по́ля - field flower, са́хар - sugar, сне́га - snow)
- Singular Feminine: ending -ы (hard) / -и (soft) / -и (after vowel). (e.g., кни́га сестры́ - sister's book, го́лос земли́ - voice of the earth)
- Plural (all genders): Variable, often -ов (masculine hard), -ев (masculine soft), -ей (some masculine/feminine), or a zero ending (feminine and neuter). (e.g., дома́ братьев - brothers' houses, кни́ги учи́телей - teachers' books, кни́ги женщи́н - women's books, о́кна городо́в - city windows, поля́∅ - fields)
Adjectives:
- Singular (all genders): hard -ого, soft -его. (e.g., дом до́брого бра́та - house of a good brother, кни́га но́вой учи́тельницы - book of a new teacher, окно́ си́него мо́ря - window of the blue sea)
- Plural (all genders): hard -ых, soft -их. (e.g., дома́ до́брых братьев - houses of good brothers, кни́ги си́них учи́телей - books of blue teachers)
Prepositions: Used after без (without), из/с (from), у (at/by/have), and others like до (to/until), от (from).
Examples: Это рабо́та моего́ отца́ (This is my father's work). Я из го́рода (I am from the city). У меня́ есть часы́ (I have a watch - literally "At me there is a watch"). Они́ е́дут без воды́ (They are going without water). Я ви́дел много краси́вых же́нщин (I saw many beautiful women).