A. Cases

Russian is an inflected language which simply means that nouns (and their modifiers) will change their shape to indicate a change of function within the sentence. A noun may function as a subject, an indirect object or direct object or the object of a preposition. In each instance it will change its ending to inform you of its particular role.

Each of these functions is indicated by a set of endings (1 each for each of the genders and 1 for plural), which are grouped into CASES:

1. Nominativenames the subject (who? what?)
2. Genitiveshows possession (whose?)
3. Dativeindicates the indirect object, recipient of the action (to whom? to what?)
4. Accusativeindicates the direct object (whom? what?)
5. Instrumentalindicates instrument or means; or accompaniment (how? with what? with whom?)
6. Locative/Prepositionalshows location (where?); indicates the object of the preposition (about whom? about what?)