Russian cases practice & interactive reference
Practice all six Russian cases with sentence exercises and explanations. Choose the correct ending, identify a case, and compare noun forms in an interactive reference.
Choose an ending drill or case-identification practice.
Answer short sentence questions and read each explanation.
Retry mistakes and compare the case reference.
Choose the case from the sentence
Find the noun’s role and the words that govern it. Practice an ending, or identify the case of a form already in context. Each answer explains the clue.
36 original exercises · up to 8 questions per session · no signup. Your latest score can be saved on this device.
Six cases, six questions
Nominative · Именительный
кто? что?
Often the subject. Also common in identifying phrases with an omitted present-tense “is”.
Кни́га на столе́.
The book is on the table.
A nominative-looking ending is not proof: inanimate accusatives can have exactly the same spelling.
Genitive · Родительный
кого́? чего́?
Нет; possession; без, из, от, до, после, для, у. Many quantity expressions also use genitive.
У меня́ нет кни́ги.
I do not have a book.
Numerals introduce special number patterns. Do not assume every English “of” translates to the same construction.
Dative · Дательный
кому́? чему́?
A recipient or experiencer; к; verbs such as помогать and звонить.
Я помога́ю дру́гу.
I help a friend.
Learn the case with the Russian verb. English object patterns do not reliably predict Russian cases.
Accusative · Винительный
кого́? что?
Many direct objects. В and на with a destination.
Я чита́ю кни́гу.
I am reading a book.
Animate masculine singular and animate plural forms usually match genitive; inanimate forms often match nominative.
Instrumental · Творительный
кем? чем?
An instrument or means; с meaning “with”; над; roles after работать; гордиться.
Я пишу́ ру́чкой.
I write with a pen.
С can also mean “from” and take genitive. A preposition can select different cases for different meanings.
Prepositional · Предложный
о ком? о чём?
О/об for a topic; в and на for a location. This case always follows a preposition.
Мы говори́м о кни́ге.
We are talking about a book.
Destination uses accusative instead. Some common location forms are special: в лесу, but о лесе.
| Case | Example form |
|---|---|
| Nominative | кни́га |
| Genitive | кни́ги |
| Dative | кни́ге |
| Accusative | кни́гу |
| Instrumental | кни́гой |
| Prepositional | кни́ге |
Location or destination: в школе vs в школу
Она учится в школе. Она идёт в школу.
Studying happens at a location: в школе is prepositional. Going has a destination: в школу is accusative. A movement verb alone is not enough to decide: movement can also happen within a place. Read the intended relationship.
Grammar reference: Cornell Beginning Russian Grammar. Exercises are original Inklingo practice. A session score measures these questions, not overall proficiency.
Make sense of what you’re practicing
Learn the job before the ending
A case tells you how a noun relates to its sentence. First find the verb, preposition or role that selects the case, then choose the correct form. Memorizing an ending without its context can leave you with several possible answers.
Some forms belong to several cases
Книги can be genitive singular or nominative/accusative plural. Стол can be nominative or accusative singular. Use the whole sentence and the intended number; do not treat a familiar ending as a unique case label.
Prepositions need meaning as well as memory
В and на commonly use prepositional for location and accusative for destination. С can mean “with” followed by instrumental, or “from” followed by genitive. The same written preposition does not always require the same case.
Review one contrast at a time
If you confuse where and where to, choose accusative versus prepositional practice. If a verb such as помогать surprises you, learn the whole phrase with its dative complement. Retry missed questions before returning to mixed practice.