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. Nominative | names the subject (who? what?) |
2. Genitive | shows possession (whose?) |
3. Dative | indicates the indirect object, recipient of the action (to whom? to what?) |
4. Accusative | indicates the direct object (whom? what?) |
5. Instrumental | indicates instrument or means; or accompaniment (how? with what? with whom?) |
6. Locative/Prepositional | shows location (where?); indicates the object of the preposition (about whom? about what?) |