Genitive case singular in Russian: possession, negation and quantity (A1-A2)
The genitive is one of the most versatile and frequently used cases in the Russian language. If the accusative surprised you with its animate/inanimate distinction, the genitive will amaze you with its diversity of uses: possession, negation, quantity, and much more! It’s truly the Swiss Army knife of Russian grammar.
In this detailed article, we’ll explore all aspects of the genitive singular: its five main uses, its endings for each gender, and the agreement of adjectives.
What is the genitive?
The genitive primarily expresses:
- Possession: my brother’s book
- Belonging: the capital of Russia
- Origin: where something comes from
- Partitive quantity: a glass of milk
- Absence, negation: I don’t have time
Unlike English where we often use the preposition “of” or the possessive ‘s, Russian expresses all this by simply changing the ending of the possessor’s noun!
The five main uses of the genitive
1. Expressing possession and belonging
This is the most classic use of the genitive. The possessor goes in the genitive, and we generally place this noun after the possessed object.
Structure: [Possessed object] + [Possessor in genitive]
Examples:
- Кни́га бра́та. (The brother’s book. / The book of [my] brother.)
- Дом дру́га. (The friend’s house.)
- Сумка подру́ги. (The girlfriend’s bag.)
- Столи́ца Росси́и. (The capital of Russia.)
- Маши́на отца́. (The father’s car.)
- Кварти́ра сестры́. (The sister’s apartment.)
Note: Russian doesn’t use articles, and context indicates whether we’re talking about “the” or “a/an”.
2. Expressing negation
After a negative verbal form, the direct object goes in the genitive (not in the accusative as with an affirmative verb).
Affirmative/negative comparison:
| Affirmative (Accusative) | Negative (Genitive) |
|---|---|
| Я зна́ю отве́т. (I know the answer.) | Я не зна́ю отве́та. (I don’t know the answer.) |
| Он чита́л кни́гу. (He read the book.) | Он не чита́л кни́ги. (He didn’t read the book.) |
| Она́ ви́дит до́ктора. (She sees the doctor.) | Она́ не ви́дит до́ктора. (She doesn’t see the doctor.) |
The construction У меня́ нет (I don’t have):
This is a very common turn of phrase in Russian to express the absence of something:
- У меня́ нет вре́мени. (I don’t have time. / Literally: “At my place, there is no time.”)
- У неё нет бра́та. (She doesn’t have a brother.)
- У нас нет маши́ны. (We don’t have a car.)
3. Expressing quantity
When talking about a part of a whole (partitive quantity), the noun of the substance goes in the genitive.
After measurement nouns
- Ста́кан молока́. (A glass of milk.)
- Ча́шка ча́я. (A cup of tea.)
- Килогра́мм са́хара. (A kilogram of sugar.)
- Буты́лка воды́. (A bottle of water.)
- Ку́сок хле́ба. (A piece of bread.)
After adverbs of quantity
- Мно́го вре́мени. (A lot of time.)
- Ма́ло со́лнца. (Little sun.)
- Не́много во́дки. (A little vodka.)
- Ско́лько де́нег? (How much money?)
Examples in context:
- Я хочу́ ча́шку ко́фе. (I want a cup of coffee.)
- У меня́ мно́го рабо́ты. (I have a lot of work.)
- В магази́не ма́ло молока́. (There’s little milk in the store.)
4. After the numbers 2, 3 and 4
Special rule: After the numbers два (two), три (three) and четы́ре (four), the noun goes in the genitive singular (not in the plural!).
Examples:
- Две маши́ны. (Two cars. - literally “two [of] car”)
- Три неде́ли. (Three weeks.)
- Четы́ре стола́. (Four tables.)
- Два часа́. (Two hours.)
- Три го́да. (Three years.)
Remember: With 1, we use the nominative singular. With 5 and more, we use the genitive plural (which you’ll study later).
5. After certain prepositions
Many Russian prepositions systematically govern the genitive. Here are the most common:
У (at, near, by)
- У дире́ктора. (At the director’s.)
- У окна́. (Near the window.)
- У меня́. (At my place / I have.)
О́КОЛО (near, about)
- О́коло окна́. (Near the window.)
- О́коло шко́лы. (Near the school.)
ОТ (from, since - movement away)
This preposition indicates moving away from someone or a place (opposite of К + dative):
- От ста́нции. (From/since the station.)
- От бра́та. (From the brother.)
- От Москвы́. (From Moscow.)
ИЗ (from, out of - exit from inside)
This preposition indicates coming out from inside something (opposite of В + accusative):
- Из библиоте́ки. (From the library.)
- Из шко́лы. (From school.)
- Из Росси́и. (From Russia.)
ДО (until)
- До шко́лы. (Until school.)
- До конца́. (Until the end.)
- До ве́чера. (Until evening.)
ПО́СЛЕ (after)
- По́сле уро́ка. (After class.)
- По́сле рабо́ты. (After work.)
- По́сле обе́да. (After lunch.)
БЕЗ (without)
- Без сло́ва. (Without a word.)
- Без са́хара. (Without sugar.)
- Без меня́. (Without me.)
ДЛЯ (for - indicates recipient or purpose)
- Для меня́. (For me.)
- Для сестры́. (For the sister.)
- Для здоро́вья. (For health.)
Genitive endings: summary tables
Masculine and neuter nouns
Important point: The genitive endings of masculine and neuter nouns are identical to those of the accusative of animate masculine nouns!
Masculines with hard consonant ending: -а
Rule: After guttural consonants (г, к, х), sibilants (ж, ш, ч, щ) and the fricative ц, we always write -а (never -я).
| Nominative | Genitive | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| стол | стола́ | of the table |
| дом | до́ма | of the house |
| брат | бра́та | of the brother |
| снег | сне́га | of the snow |
| мяч | мяча́ | of the ball |
| ключ | ключа́ | of the key |
| ме́сяц | ме́сяца | of the month |
| о́вощ | о́воща | of the vegetable |
| челове́к | челове́ка | of the person |
Examples in context:
- Дом бра́та. (The brother’s house.)
- Цвет сне́га. (The color of snow.)
- До́ктор челове́ка. (The person’s doctor.)
Masculines in -ь or -й: -я
| Nominative | Genitive | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| учи́тель | учи́теля | of the teacher |
| писа́тель | писа́теля | of the writer |
| слова́рь | словаря́ | of the dictionary |
| музе́й | музе́я | of the museum |
| трамва́й | трамва́я | of the tram |
Examples:
- Кни́га учи́теля. (The teacher’s book.)
- Оста́новка трамва́я. (The tram stop.)
Neuters in -о: -а
| Nominative | Genitive | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| окно́ | окна́ | of the window |
| сло́во | сло́ва | of the word |
| письмо́ | письма́ | of the letter |
| вино́ | вина́ | of the wine |
Neuters in -е: -я
| Nominative | Genitive | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| мо́ре | мо́ря | of the sea |
| зда́ние | зда́ния | of the building |
| по́ле | по́ля | of the field |
Neuters in -мя: -ени (irregular)
These words have a special ending in all oblique cases:
| Nominative | Genitive | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| и́мя | и́мени | of the name |
| вре́мя | вре́мени | of time |
| пла́мя | пла́мени | of the flame |
Example:
- У меня́ нет вре́мени. (I don’t have time.)
Feminine nouns
Feminines in -а: -ы
| Nominative | Genitive | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| шко́ла | шко́лы | of the school |
| ко́мната | ко́мнаты | of the room |
| у́лица | у́лицы | of the street |
| больни́ца | больни́цы | of the hospital |
| газе́та | газе́ты | of the newspaper |
Rule of 7 letters: after г, к, х, ж, ш, щ, ч → -и
After these seven consonants, we write -и (not -ы):
| Nominative | Genitive | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| де́вочка | де́вочки | of the little girl |
| де́вушка | де́вушки | of the young woman |
| кни́га | кни́ги | of the book |
| библиоте́ка | библиоте́ки | of the library |
Examples:
- Из библиоте́ки. (From the library.)
- Сумка де́вушки. (The young woman’s bag.)
Feminines in -я or -ь: -и
| Nominative | Genitive | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| земля́ | земли́ | of the earth |
| ку́хня | ку́хни | of the kitchen |
| неде́ля | неде́ли | of the week |
| дверь | две́ри | of the door |
| тетра́дь | тетра́ди | of the notebook |
| ночь | но́чи | of the night |
Examples:
- До неде́ли. (Until the week.)
- Без тетра́ди. (Without notebook.)
Complete summary table of endings
| Gender | Type | Nominative | Genitive | Complete example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Hard | брат | бра́та | Дом бра́та (the brother’s house) |
| Masculine | Soft (-ь) | учи́тель | учи́теля | Кни́га учи́теля (the teacher’s book) |
| Masculine | Soft (-й) | музе́й | музе́я | Би́лет музе́я (the museum ticket) |
| Neuter | -о | окно́ | окна́ | Цвет окна́ (the window’s color) |
| Neuter | -е | мо́ре | мо́ря | Вода́ мо́ря (the sea’s water) |
| Neuter | -мя | вре́мя | вре́мени | Мно́го вре́мени (a lot of time) |
| Feminine | -а | кни́га | кни́ги | Страни́ца кни́ги (the book’s page) |
| Feminine | -я | неде́ля | неде́ли | Конéц неде́ли (the week’s end) |
| Feminine | -ь | дверь | две́ри | Ключ две́ри (the door’s key) |
Pronouns in the genitive
Personal pronouns
The personal pronouns in the genitive are identical to those in the accusative:
| Nominative | Genitive | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| я | меня́ | of me, me |
| ты | тебя́ | of you, you |
| он | его́ | of him, him |
| она́ | её | of her, her |
| мы | нас | of us, us |
| вы | вас | of you, you |
| они́ | их | of them, them |
Examples:
- У меня́ нет вре́мени. (I don’t have time.)
- У тебя́ есть брат? (Do you have a brother? / Literally: “At your place, is there a brother?”)
- Без него́. (Without him.)
- Для неё. (For her.)
Interrogative pronouns
For people: Кого́? (Who? / Of whom?)
The pronoun кто (who) becomes кого́ in the genitive.
Examples:
- Кого́ ты ждёшь? (Who are you waiting for?)
- У кого́ кни́га? (Who has the book? / Literally: “At whose place the book?”)
- От кого́ письмо́? (Who is the letter from?)
For things: Чего́? (What? / Of what?)
The pronoun что (what) becomes чего́ in the genitive.
Examples:
- Чего́ ты бои́шься? (What are you afraid of?)
- Без чего́ ты не мо́жешь жить? (What can’t you live without?)
- От чего́ э́то зави́сит? (What does this depend on?)
Agreement of adjectives in the genitive
Adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify. In the genitive, the endings change according to gender.
1. Adjectives modifying masculine or neuter nouns
Adjectives with hard stem: -ого (pronounced “-ovo”)
Attention to pronunciation: The ending -ого is pronounced “-ovo”!
| Nominative | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| но́вый, но́вое | но́вого | у но́вого студе́нта (at the new student’s) |
| большо́й, большо́е | большо́го | от большо́го окна́ (from the big window) |
| ру́сский, ру́сское | ру́сского | для ру́сского языка́ (for the Russian language) |
Examples in context:
- Кни́га но́вого учи́теля. (The new teacher’s book.)
- У большо́го до́ма. (Near the big house.)
- Из ста́рого музе́я. (From the old museum.)
Adjectives with soft stem: -его (pronounced “-evo”)
| Nominative | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| си́ний, си́нее | си́него | от си́него зда́ния (from the blue building) |
| сосе́дний, сосе́днее | сосе́днего | из сосе́днего до́ма (from the neighboring house) |
| после́дний, после́днее | после́днего | до после́днего дня (until the last day) |
Special rule: Replacement of О with Е
After sibilants (ж, ч, ш, щ) and the fricative ц, if the stress is not on the ending, we write -его (not -ого):
| Nominative | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| хоро́ший | хоро́шего | у хоро́шего дру́га (at the good friend’s) |
If the stress is on the ending, we write -о́го:
- большо́й → большо́го
2. Adjectives modifying feminine nouns
Adjectives with hard stem: -ой
| Nominative | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| но́вая | но́вой | у но́вой студе́нтки (at the new female student’s) |
| большая | большо́й | от большо́й шко́лы (from the big school) |
| ру́сская | ру́сской | из ру́сской библиоте́ки (from the Russian library) |
Examples in context:
- Сумка ста́ршей сестры́. (The older sister’s bag.)
- До но́вой ста́нции. (Until the new station.)
- Без большо́й проблемы. (Without a big problem.)
Adjectives with soft stem: -ей
| Nominative | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| си́няя | си́ней | у си́ней маши́ны (near the blue car) |
| ле́тняя | ле́тней | после́ ле́тней пого́ды (after the summer weather) |
Rule of О replacement with Е (feminine)
After ж, ч, ш, щ, ц, if the stress is not on the ending, we write -ей (not -о́й):
| Nominative | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| хоро́шая | хоро́шей | у хоро́шей подру́ги (at the good friend’s) |
Possessive adjectives in the genitive
Variable possessives: мой, твой, наш, ваш
These possessive adjectives change according to gender and case.
Masculine/Neuter: -его́
| Nominative | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| мой, моё | моего́ | у моего́ бра́та (at my brother’s) |
| твой, твоё | твоего́ | от твоего́ до́ма (from your house) |
| наш, на́ше | на́шего | для на́шего учи́теля (for our teacher) |
| ваш, ва́ше | ва́шего | без ва́шего согла́сия (without your consent) |
Feminine: -ей
| Nominative | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| моя́ | мое́й | у мое́й сестры́ (at my sister’s) |
| твоя́ | твое́й | из твое́й шко́лы (from your school) |
| на́ша | на́шей | для на́шей ма́мы (for our mom) |
| ва́ша | ва́шей | после́ ва́шей рабо́ты (after your work) |
Complete examples:
- Кни́га моего́ дру́га. (My friend’s book.)
- Из на́шей шко́лы. (From our school.)
- Для мое́й сестры́. (For my sister.)
Invariable possessives: его́, её, их
These three possessives NEVER change, regardless of gender, number or case:
| Meaning | Unique form | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| his | его́ | у его́ бра́та (at his brother’s) из его́ шко́лы (from his school) |
| her | её | у её сестры́ (at her sister’s) от её дру́га (from her friend) |
| their | их | у их учи́теля (at their teacher’s) из их до́ма (from their house) |
Demonstrative adjectives in the genitive
Masculine/Neuter: э́того
- э́тот, э́то → э́того
Examples:
- У э́того студе́нта. (At this student’s.)
- Из э́того зда́ния. (From this building.)
- Для э́того де́ла. (For this matter.)
Feminine: э́той
- э́та → э́той
Examples:
- У э́той де́вушки. (At this young woman’s.)
- Из э́той библиоте́ки. (From this library.)
- Для э́той цели. (For this purpose.)
Summary table: agreement of adjectives
| Gender | Qualitative | Possessive | Demonstrative | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masc/Neuter | -ого/-его | моего́/твоего́/на́шего/ва́шего | э́того | у но́вого студе́нта |
| Feminine | -ой/-ей | мое́й/твое́й/на́шей/ва́шей | э́той | у но́вой студе́нтки |
| Invariable | - | его́ / её / их | - | у его́ бра́та |
Usage examples in context
Possession
- Э́то кни́га бра́та. (This is the brother’s book.)
- Маши́на на́шего отца́ но́вая. (Our father’s car is new.)
- Где ключи́ твоего́ до́ма? (Where are your house keys?)
Negation
- Я не зна́ю отве́та на э́тот вопро́с. (I don’t know the answer to this question.)
- У меня́ нет вре́мени сего́дня. (I don’t have time today.)
- Она́ не ви́дела э́того фи́льма. (She hasn’t seen this film.)
Quantity
- Ча́шка кре́пкого ча́я. (A cup of strong tea.)
- Ста́кан холо́дного молока́. (A glass of cold milk.)
- Мно́го свобо́дного вре́мени. (A lot of free time.)
- Ма́ло хоро́шей му́зыки. (Little good music.)
With prepositions
- У большо́го окна́. (Near the big window.)
- От ста́рой ста́нции. (From the old station.)
- До сле́дующей оста́новки. (Until the next stop.)
- Из центра́льной библиоте́ки. (From the central library.)
- Без ли́шнего сло́ва. (Without a superfluous word.)
- Для лю́бимой ма́тери. (For the beloved mother.)
Tips for memorizing the genitive
1. The magic questions
To identify the genitive, ask these questions:
- Кого́? (Of whom? / Who?) for animate beings
- Чего́? (Of what? / What?) for inanimate things
- Чей? Чья? Чьё? (Whose?) for possession
2. Think of English “of” or possessive ‘s
Often (but not always!), the genitive corresponds to English “of” or possessive ‘s:
- My brother’s book → Кни́га моего́ бра́та
- A glass of milk → Ста́кан молока́
- A lot of time → Мно́го вре́мени
3. Negation = Genitive
Remember this simple rule: Negative verb → Direct object in genitive
4. “Fixed” prepositions
Memorize these prepositions that ALWAYS take the genitive:
- У, от, из, до, без, для, о́коло, по́сле
5. Link with animate accusative
For masculines and neuters, genitive = animate accusative:
- студе́нт → Animate accusative: студе́нта = Genitive: студе́нта
Practical exercises
To properly assimilate the genitive, translate these sentences:
- I don’t have time.
- The teacher’s book is interesting.
- A cup of strong coffee.
- Near the big window.
- Without my friend.
- From the old library.
- For our mother.
- Two weeks.
Answers:
- У меня́ нет вре́мени.
- Кни́га учи́теля интере́сная.
- Ча́шка кре́пкого ко́фе.
- У большо́го окна́. / О́коло большо́го окна́.
- Без моего́ дру́га.
- Из ста́рой библиоте́ки.
- Для на́шей ма́тери.
- Две неде́ли.
Essential points to remember:
- ✅ Five main uses: possession, negation, quantity, after 2-3-4, with certain prepositions
- ✅ Masculines and neuters: endings -а/-я (identical to animate accusative)
- ✅ Feminines: endings -ы/-и
- ✅ Masculine/neuter adjectives: -ого/-его (pronounced “-ovo/-evo”)
- ✅ Feminine adjectives: -ой/-ей
- ✅ Negation: Always use the genitive after a negative verb
- ✅ У меня́ нет: Essential construction for saying “I don’t have”
The genitive may seem complex at first with its numerous uses, but it’s precisely this versatility that makes it indispensable. With regular practice, you’ll use the genitive naturally in your conversations!
Сле́дующий шаг: попракти́куйтесь! (Next step: practice!)
This article is based on lessons 6 and 7 of the manual “Le Russe pour les Débutants Niveau A2” and offers a comprehensive pedagogical approach to the genitive singular, one of the six grammatical cases of Russian and certainly one of the most used in daily life.
This article is part of our complete series on Russian grammatical cases. Also consult our guides on the accusative, the prepositional, the dative and the instrumental for a complete mastery of Russian cases.
