A basic Modern Russian Grammar, Apuntes de Idiomas

¡Descarga A basic Modern Russian Grammar y más Apuntes en PDF de Idiomas solo en Docsity!

A Basic

Modern

Russian

Grammar

Eugenia Nekrasova

Russian Fresh

from Russia

Ron Maxim , Director, Government Cargo Support Services, Maersk Sealand, Atlanta, GA, USA: ...Mrs.Nekrasova`s book is very creative...

Frederick Lyons , Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme in the Russian Federation This book very definitely helped me improve my Russian fluency. With good humour and strong didactic principles it leads through the difficulties of the Russian Grammar.

Markku Lehto , Chief of Moscow Bureau of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, Finland The book is really very helpful. The explanations given in the book are clear and inventive. The teaching materials have been very well sorted.

To the Readers

This book is meant both for the learners and the teachers of Russian. The name of the book speaks for itself: "A Basic Modern Russian Grammar". The attention is focused on the facts of Modern Russian language which are basic, of high frequency and in common use. As most of the learners are not professional linguists the author tried to avoid unnecessary linguistic terms. The explanations, charts and presentation of grammar material enable the learners of Russian understand some practical mechanisms of the language in a certain logical order. The teachers of Russian can use it in their practical work. All the charts originally belong to the author. The author expresses her deep gratitude to Mr D. Pobedimsky without whom the book would not have succeeded and to Prof. T. Wade (UK) for his encour- agement.

I wish you success, Eugenia Nekrasova

© A Basic Modern Russian Grammar, Eugenia Nekrasova,1997. © Graphic Design, eBook publisher, Dmitry Pobedimsky, 2002.

ISBN 5-85550-119-

Part 1

The Gender Agreement of Russian Nouns in the Singular

Eugenia Nekrasova

The characterizing words can be:
adjectives,
adjectival pronouns (possessive, demonstrative etc),
ordinal numerals,
long participles,
cardinal numeral «one». You will learn:
how to establish the Gender of a noun and
how to make the Singular form Gender Agreement between nouns and words characterizing them.

AGREEMENT BETWEEN WORDS IN RUSSIAN There are 2 main types of relations between the words in a Russian sentence: Agreement and Governing. Agreement could be in Gender, Number and Person.

Part 1

The Gender Agreement of Russian Nouns

in the Singular

between the nouns/personal pronouns and the short participles /short adjectives,
between the nouns/personal pronouns and the verbs in the Past tense form. Part 1 deals with the first five types of Gender Agreement.

THE PRINCIPLE OF GENDER AGREEMENT Agreement in Gender takes place:

between the long adjectives and the nouns,

between the adjectival pronouns and the nouns,
between the ordinal numerals and the nouns,

between the cardinal numeral «one» and nouns,
between the long participles and the nouns,   

Part 1 covers the problems of Gender Agreement between nouns and words preceding them in units. I called the words preceeding nouns in units - the characterizing words.

Part 1

The Gender Agreement of Russian Nouns in the Singular

Eugenia Nekrasova

Masculine (M), Feminine (F) or Neuter(N) You will be glad to know that the gender of the majority of the Russian nouns one can tell from the ending of the dictionary form (Nominative Case). The gender of nouns is mostly a formal thing. Now you will learn how to determine the gender of a noun.

 Nouns ending in consonants and -é are Masculine: äîì - house äðóã - friend ìóçˆé -museum ÷åëîâˆê - man ã‹ðîä - city Êèò‚é - China

All Russian nouns are attributed to one of the three genders:

HOW TO ESTABLISH THE GENDER OF A NOUN

 Nouns ending in -à, -ÿ, -üÿ, -èÿ are Feminine: ì‚ìà - mama, mommy ‹ëãà - Volga ìàø‰íà - car ñòàòüμ - article íˆäåëÿ - week ôàì‰ëèÿ - surname Ðîññèÿ - Russia

But things are never that simple in languages: irrespective of the Feminine -à, -ÿ ending a small group of nouns denoting males has Masculine gender agreement (so called «Natural Masculines»): ï‚ïà - father, dad äˆäóøêà - grandfather ìóæ÷‰íà - man äμäÿ - uncle

ìˆñòî - seat ì‹ðå - sea êóïˆ - compartment

çä‚íèå - building òåëåâ‰äåíèå - TV çäîð‹âüå - health

 Nouns ending in -î, -å, -üå, -èå are Neuter:

âðˆìÿ - time ‰ìÿ - name èíòåðâüþ - interview

ìåíþ - menu æþð‰ - jury òàêñ‰ - taxi

The following nouns are Neuter:

E.g. ìîé (Ì) + ï‚ïà

Notice!

h

Notice!

h

Part 1

The Gender Agreement of Russian Nouns in the Singular

Eugenia Nekrasova

(^) HOW TO ESTABLISH THE GENDER OF PLACE NAMES

All the place names could be divided into 2 groups:

These words exist only in this unchangeable (indeclinable) form. Their gender is established in a special way (through association with the «generic» word).

Second group There are many place names which do not fit the Russian system of endings: Áàê˜, Ñ‹÷è, Òáèë‰ñè, Õˆëüñèíêè, Ìèññ˜ðè, Òà‰òè, Ò‹êèî, Îíò‚ðèî

M. Êèò‚é, Òàéë‚íä, Âüåòí‚ì, Àì˜ð, Åíèñˆé - îí F. Ðîññ‰ÿ, Ôèíëμíäèÿ, Àìˆðèêà, ‹ëãà - îí‚ N. Ïðèì‹ðüå - îí‹

First group The place names have the endings which formally fit the Russian system of endings:

FOREIGN INDECLINABLE NOUNS AND THEIR GENDER AGREEMENT There is a group of nouns of foreign origin in Russian which do not decline. E.g. øîññˆ - highway ð‚äèî - radio (set) ìåòð‹ - subway êèí‹ - movies, cinema òàêñ‰ - taxi, cab àòåëüˆ - studio,dress shop êàôˆ - cafe áþð‹ - office êóïˆ - compartment èíòåðâüþ - interview ïàëüò‹ - overcoat etc. All these words are Neuter and their Gender agreement and pronoun replacement is Neuter. E.g. ̉íñêîå øîññˆ - Minsk highway - oí‹ èíòåðˆñíîå èíòåðâüþ - interesting interview - îí‹ í‹âîå ïàëüò‹ - new overcoat - îí‹

but ãîðμ÷èé ê‹ôå - Masculine - hot coffee

Notice!

h

Part 1

The Gender Agreement of Russian Nouns in the Singular

Eugenia Nekrasova

So, these adjectives can be attached to the nouns the gender of which is marked or established as Masculine, for example:

M. M. í‹âûé + äîì M. M. áîëüø‹é + äîì M. M. õîð‹øèé + äîì

To make a Feminine adjective to attach it to a Feminine noun, you have to replace Masculine endings by -àÿ ending. ûé, îé, èé  àÿ E.g.

THE GENDER AGREEMENT BETWEEN NOUNS AND CHARACTERIZING WORDS IN THE SINGULAR The adjectives and adjectival words are registered in the dictionaries in the Masculine. You can make other gender forms on your own if you follow the rules which will be stipulated further.

The Masculine adjectival endings which a foreign learner may trace from the dictionary are as follows:

 The gender agreement between nouns and adjectives

-ûé like in í‹âûé - new, èçâˆñòíûé - famous -îé like in áîëüø‹é - big, large, ïëîõ‹é - bad, äîðîã‹é - expensive, dear -èé like in ð˜ññêèé - Russian, àíãë‰éñêèé - English, õîð‹øèé - good, ì‚ëåíüêèé - small, little, ïîñëˆäíèé - last

Feminine adjective + Feminine noun

M. F. F. íîâûé  íîâàÿ ìàøèíà new new car

Masculine adjective + Masculine noun

M. F. F. áîëüøîé  áîëüøàÿ ìàøèíà large, big big car

 







Part 1

The Gender Agreement of Russian Nouns in the Singular

Eugenia Nekrasova

N

M

F

N

M

F

N

M

F

THE GENDER AGREEMENT BETWEEN ADJECTIVES AND NOUNS OF ADJECTIVAL ORIGIN An adjectival noun has the form of an adjective but functions as a noun. Most of the adjectival nouns result from the omission of a noun qualified by the adjective, for example:

Ýòî ìîé äîì. This is my house.

Ýòî ìî¸ ìåñòî. This is my seat.

Ýòî ìîÿ ìàøèíà. My This is my car. Ýòî íàø äîì. This is our house.

Ýòî íàøå ìåñòî. This is our seat.

Ýòî íàøà ìàøèíà. This is our car.

Our

M. ó÷¸íûé (÷åëîâåê) - scientist M. ðóññêèé (÷åëîâåê) - Russian (nat.) M. áåçðàáîòíûé (÷åëîâåê)-unemployed F. ðóññêàÿ (æåíùèíà) - Russian (nat.) F. ñòîëîâàÿ (êîìíàòà) - dining-room

F. âàííàÿ (êîìíàòà) - bathroom F. íàáåðåæíàÿ (óëèöà) - embankment N. âòîðîå (áëþäî) - second course N. ãîðÿ÷åå (áëþäî) - main course N. ìîðîæåíîå - ice-cream

So, the adjectival nouns are qualified like normal nouns: M. M. èçâåñòíûé + ó÷¸íûé - famous scientist F. F. áîëüøàÿ + ñòîëîâàÿ - large dining-room N. N. âêóñíîå + ìîðîæåíîå - delicious ice-cream

^ The possessive pronouns used as characterizing words

Notice!

h

h

Notice!

Ýòî òâîé äîì? Is this your house?

Ýòî òâî¸ ìåñòî? Is this your seat?

Ýòî òâîÿ ìàøèíà? Your Is this your car? (from «òû»)

Your (from «âû») Ýòî âàøå ìåñòî? Is this your seat?

Ýòî âàøà ìàøèíà? Is this your car?

Ýòî âàø äîì? Is this your house?

N

M

F

Part 1

The Gender Agreement of Russian Nouns in the Singular

Eugenia Nekrasova

Possessive pronouns åãî (his), å¸ (her), èõ (their) do not change according to the gender principle, they exist only in one unchangeable form:

The demonstrative and determinative pronouns used as characterizing words ýòîò - this, the... close to hand

Âîò ýòîò äîì. Here is this house.

Âîò ýòî ìåñòî. Here is this place.

Âîò ýòà ìàøèíà. Here is this car.

this

åãî äîì - his house åãî ìàøèíà - his car åãî ìåñòî - his place

åãî (his) å¸ äîì - her house å¸ ìàøèíà - her car å¸ ìåñòî - her place

å¸ (her) èõ (their)

èõ äîì - their house èõ ìàøèíà - their car èõ ìåñòî - their place

Summary

It is necessary to distinguish the characterizing ýòî, which changes according to genders and ýòî used in the meaning of «this is, that is, these are, those are». The latter is not a characterizing word, and it does not change according to genders.

Notice!

M. Ýòî ìîé äîì. This is my house.

ýòî... - this is, that is - special case!

h Notice!

N. Ýòî ìî¸ ìåñòî. This is my seat.

F. Ýòî ìîÿ ìàøèíà. This is my car.

N

M

F

ìîé, íàø, âàø, òâîé, åãî, å¸, èõ + äîì ìîÿ, íàøà, âàøà, òâîÿ, åãî, å¸, èõ + ìàøèíà ìî¸, íàøå, âàøå, òâî¸, åãî, å¸, èõ + ìåñòî

Part 1

The Gender Agreement of Russian Nouns in the Singular

Eugenia Nekrasova

òàêîé æå - the same, the same kind as, combines with long adjectives:

ñàìûé - the very, the most, most Indicates precise location: Ì. Ýòî ñàìûé öåíòð ãîðîäà. It`s the very centre of the city.

Similar meaning could be rendered by

Êàêîé ñèëüíûé âåòåð! What a heavy wind!

Êàêîå æàðêîå ëåòî! What a hot summer!

Êàêàÿ ñèëüíàÿ ãðîçà! What a heavy thunderstorm!

Òàêîé æå äîì. The same kind of house.

Òàêàÿ æå ìàøèíà. The same kind of car.

Òàêîå æå ïèâî. The same kind of beer.

Ýòî ñàìûé áîëüøîé äîì. This is the biggest house.

Ýòî ñàìîå óäîáíîå ìåñòî. This is the most comfortable seat.

Ýòî ñàìàÿ äîðîãàÿ ìàøèíà. This is the most expensive car.

òîò ñàìûé - the same, the very, mentioned before Âîò òîò ñàìûé äîì.

Âîò òî ñàìîå ìåñòî. Âîò òà ñàìàÿ ìàøèíà.

N

M

F

N

M

F

N

M

F

N

M

F





Combines with long adjectives to denote superlative meaning:

êàêîé - such a..., what a ...

Part 1

The Gender Agreement of Russian Nouns in the Singular

Eugenia Nekrasova

The Interrogative Pronouns used as characterizing words The Interrogative Pronouns are used in questions:

êàêîé - what, which, what kind of, what is the number of..?

÷åé? - Whose..? Who is the owner? To whom it belongs? ×åé ýòî äîì? Whose is this house?

×ü¸ ýòî êóïå? Whose is this compartment?

×üÿ ýòî ìàøèíà? Whose is this car?

÷åé?

÷ü¸? ÷üÿ?

Êàêîé?

Êàêîå? Êàêàÿ?

whose?

Êàêîé ó âàñ âàãîí? What is your carriage number? What is the class of your carriage?

Êàêîé îí ÷åëîâåê? What kind of person is he?

Êàêîé ó âàñ òåëåôîí? What is your telephone number? What kind of telephone do you have?

Êàêàÿ çàâòðà áóäåò ïîãîäà? What is the weather like tomorrow?

Êàêàÿ ó âàñ êâàðòèðà? What kind of apartment do you have? What is the number of your apartment?

Êàêîå ó âàñ êóïå? What is the number of your compartment? What is the class of your compartment?

Êàêîå ó âàñ ìåñòî? What is the number of your seat?

N

M

F

N

M

F

Part 2

The Plural of Nouns. The Number Agreement of Russian Nouns.

Eugenia Nekrasova

SINGULAR - ONLY NOUNS Not all the nouns have both Singular and Plural forms. There are nouns which exist only in the Singular. They include nouns which denote: «collectives»: ïîñóäà - dishware, ìåáåëü - furniture, îáóâü - footware, îðóæèå - weapons, îäåæäà - clothes, êîñìåòèêà - cosmetics, etc. human activities: ïîëèòèêà - policy/politics, ïðîìûøëåííîñòü - industry, ýêîíîìèêà

• economy/economics, ìåäèöèíà - medicine, ñïîðò - sports, òåëåâèäåíèå - television, ðàäèî - radio, etc. substances; foods, cereals, fruits and vegetables: çîëîòî - gold, íåôòü - oil, øåðñòü - wool, ìàñëî - oil, butter, ïèâî
• beer, ðèñ - rice, ìÿñî - meat, ìóêà - flour, âèíîãðàä - grapes, èçþì - raisins, êàïóñòà - cabbage, ëóê - onion, øîêîëàä - chocolate, etc. feelings and sensations: ñ÷àñòüå - happiness, çàâèñòü - envy, etc.

The nouns of all Genders make Plural forms with the help of 2 groups of endings:

First Group: Masculine & Feminine Nouns -û ending («hard line») after hard consonants Singular Plural M. ÷åìîäàí
÷åìîäàíû - suitcases M. êîìïüþòåð
êîìïüþòåðû - computers M. èíîñòðàíåö
èíîñòðàíöû - foreigners etc.

Part 2

The Plural of Nouns.

The Number Agreement of Russian Nouns.

-û ending instead of -à F. ìàøèíà
ìàøèíû - cars F. êâàðòèðà
êâàðòèðû - apartments F. æåíùèíà
æåíùèíû - women etc.

FORMATION OF PLURAL NOUNS

Notice!

h



First Group -û or -è ending: Big Group of Masculine& Feminine Nouns Second Group -à or -ÿ ending: Small Group of Masculine & Neuter Nouns 

Part 2

The Plural of Nouns. The Number Agreement of Russian Nouns.

Eugenia Nekrasova Singular Plural F. êíèãà  êíèãè - books M. ó÷åáíèê ó÷åáíèêè -textbooks F. ñïè÷êà  ñïè÷êè - matches M. ñëóõ  ñëóõè - rumours etc.

• ‚ ending («hard line») after hard consonants in the Masculine nouns

Singular Plural M. äåíü  äíè - days M. ñëîâàðü  ñëîâàðè - dictionaries M. ðóáëü  ðóáëè - roubles M. ãîñòü  ãîñòè - guests F. íî÷ü  íî÷è - nights M. ìóçåé  ìóçåè - museums F. íåäåëÿ  íåäåëè - weeks F. ôîòîãðàôèÿ  ôîòîãðàôèè - photos

-è ending («soft line») instead of -ü, -é and -ÿ

Singular Plural ãîðîä  ãîðîä‚ - cities, towns äîì  äîì‚ - houses ëåñ  ëåñ‚ - forests, woods ïîåçä  ïîåçä‚ - trains âå÷åð  âå÷åð‚ - evenings îñòðîâ  îñòðîâ‚ - islands öâåò  öâåò‚ - colors áåðåã  áåðåã‚ - banks, coasts ïàñïîðò  ïàñïîðò‚ - passports ñ÷¸ò  ñ÷åò‚ - bills, accounts íîìåð  íîìåð‚ - numbers, hotel rooms ìàñòåð  ìàñòåð‚ - craftsmen

This group is much smaller than the - û, -è group but the nouns are frequently used.

etc.

Second Group: Masculine and Neuter nouns

Special cases!

ã, ê, õ,+ è

Singular Plural F. ëûæà  ëûæè - skies M. íîæ  íîæ‰ - knives M. âðà÷  âðà÷‰ - doctors M. ïëàù  ïëàù‰ - raincoats etc.

æ, ÷, ø, ù + è



Part 2

The Plural of Nouns. The Number Agreement of Russian Nouns.

Eugenia Nekrasova

(^) Singular Plural

õðèñòèàíèí
õðèñòèàíå - Christians ìóñóëüìàíèí
ìóñóëüìàíå -Muslims ðîññèÿíèí
ðîññèÿíå - citizens of Russia àíãëè÷àíèí
àíãëè÷àíå - English äàò÷àíèí
äàò÷àíå - Danes êðåñòüÿíèí
êðåñòüÿíå -peasants ãðàæäàíèí
ãðàæäàíå - citizens àðìÿíèí
àðìÿíå - Armenians öûãàí
öûãàíå - Gypsies

PLURAL-ONLY NOUNS Some nouns do not have the Singular form. They exist only in the Plural form (registered in the dictionaries in the Plural form). These words denote: objects which consist of two parts: î÷êè - glasses, íîæíèöû - scissors, âåñû - scales, êà÷åëè - swings, âîðîòà - gate, áðþêè - trousers, äæèíñû - jeans, òðóñû

• pants, êîëãîòêè - tights etc.

collective actions: êàíèêóëû - school or university vacation, ïåðåãîâîðû - negotiations, âûáîðû - elections, ãàñòðîëè - tour (of artists), ïîõîðîíû - funeral, ïðîâîäû - farewell party, ïðÿòêè - hide and seak, ðîäû - childbirth etc.

also the following words: äåíüãè - money, øàõìàòû - chess, ÷àñû - clock, watch, êóðàíòû

• chimes, òèòðû - subtitles, êóäðè - curls, ñàíêè - sledge, îïèëêè
• saw-dust, îáîè - wallpaper, äðîâà - firewood, ìåìóàðû - memoirs, ñ÷¸òû - abacus, àïëîäèñìåíòû - applause etc.

etc. êîò¸íîê
êîòÿòà - kittens öûïë¸íîê
öûïëÿòà - chiñken (^) etc.

Part 2

The Plural of Nouns. The Number Agreement of Russian Nouns.

Eugenia Nekrasova

äóõè - perfume, ùè - cabbage-soup, ìàêàðîíû - spaghetti, êîíñåðâû - preserves, ñëèâêè - cream etc.

ñóòêè - 24 hours period, ñóìåðêè - dusk, çàìîðîçêè - early frost

Some place names

some mountains: Êàðïàòû, Àëüïû, Ãèìàëàè, Àíäû etc.

some islands: Êóðèëû, Ãàâàéè, Êàíàðû, Áåðìóäû, Ôàðåðû etc.

some countries: Ôèëèïïèíû, Íèäåðëàíäû, Ñîåäèí¸ííûå Øòàòû Àìåðèêè also òðîïèêè - tropics, äæóíãëè - jungle Ëóæíèêè, Ñîêîëüíèêè, and lot of other geographic names mainly denoting villages and towns on the territory of the former Soviet Union.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS IN THE PLURAL All the plural nouns can be replaced by the personal pronoun îíè

îíè

they

E.g. (^) Ýòî ìîè äðóçüÿ. These are my friends.

Îíè ñåé÷àñ æèâóò â Ëîíäîíå. They live in London now.

Ýòî ìîè êíèãè. These are my books.

Îíè íà ïîëêå. They are on the shelf.