Russian Instrumental Case - A Comprehensive Guide with Examples

The Russian language has six grammatical cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and prepositional. Each case is used to indicate the function of a noun or pronoun in a sentence. The instrumental case is used to indicate the means or instrument used to perform an action, as well as the subject of a passive sentence.

• Usage of the Russian Instrumental Case
• Formation of the Russian Instrumental Case
• Examples of the Russian Instrumental Case

In this article, we will focus on the Russian instrumental case and explore its usage, formation, and some examples to better understand its role in the Russian language.

Usage of the Russian Instrumental Case

The instrumental case is used to indicate the means or instrument used to perform an action. It is also used to indicate the subject of a passive sentence. In addition, it is used after certain prepositions, such as “с” (with), “без” (without), and “для” (for).

For example, in the sentence “Она пишет книгу ручкой” (She is writing a book with a pen), the word “ручкой” (with a pen) is in the instrumental case. Similarly, in the sentence “Я был сделан подарком” (I was made into a gift), the word “подарком” (into a gift) is also in the instrumental case.

Formation of the Russian Instrumental Case

To form the instrumental case, the ending of the noun changes based on its gender, number, and ending. Here are the rules for forming the instrumental case:

1. Masculine singular nouns that end in a consonant or “й” take the ending “-ом”. For example:

• дом → домом (with a house)
• год → годом (with a year)
• путь → путём (with a way)

1. Masculine singular nouns that end in a “ь” take the ending “-ем”. For example:

• день → днём (with a day)

1. Feminine singular nouns that end in “а” or “я” take the ending “-ой”. For example:

• книга → книгой (with a book)
• Москва → Москвой (with Moscow)

1. Neuter singular nouns that end in “о” or “е” take the ending “-ом”. For example:

• окно → окном (with a window)
• море → морем (with the sea)

1. Plural nouns of all genders take the ending “-ами”. For example:

• друзья → друзьями (with friends)
• руки → руками (with hands)

Examples of the Russian Instrumental Case

1. Саша говорит по-русски с моей мамой. (Sasha is speaking Russian with my mother.) In this sentence, the phrase “с моей мамой” (with my mother) is in the instrumental case because it indicates the means or instrument used for speaking Russian.

2. Я не могу жить без тебя. (I can’t live without you.) In this sentence, the word “тебя” (you) is in the instrumental case because it follows the preposition “без” (without).

3. Книга была написана Михаилом. (The book was written by Mikhail.) In this sentence, the word “Михаилом” (by Mikhail) is in the instrumental case because it indicates the subject of a passive sentence.

The Russian instrumental case is used to show the means or tools by which an action is performed. It is also used to indicate the agent or performer of an action. In other words, it answers the questions “with what?” or “with whom?”.

To form the instrumental case, the noun is usually modified by adding the suffix -ом or -ем to the stem, depending on whether the noun is masculine or neuter, and whether it ends in a consonant or a soft sign. For feminine nouns, the instrumental case is the same as the genitive case, with the preposition “с” (with) used to indicate the means or agent.

For example:

• Студентом (studentom) - with a student (masculine noun)
• Книгой (knigoy) - with a book (feminine noun)
• Яблоком (yablokom) - with an apple (neuter noun)

The instrumental case is also used after certain prepositions such as “с” (with), “без” (without), “для” (for), and “по” (by). These prepositions require the use of the instrumental case to indicate the means or tool by which the action is performed or the agent or performer of the action.

Examples:

• Я поеду на работу на метро. (Ya poedu na rabotu na metro) - I will go to work by subway.
• Я пишу стихи для моей любимой. (Ya pishu stikhi dlya moyey lyubimoy) - I write poems for my beloved with the help of my pen.

Another use of the instrumental case is in compound words where the first element is a noun in the instrumental case, which indicates the tool or means used in the action expressed by the second element.

Examples:

• Перочинный нож (perochinnyy nozh) - a pencil sharpener (literally “a knife with which one sharpens pencils”)
• Кухонный комбайн (kukhonnyy kombayn) - a food processor (literally “a machine with which one cooks in the kitchen”)

In addition, the instrumental case can also be used to express the time when an action takes place, especially with the preposition “в” (in).

Examples:

• Я уйду вечером. (Ya uydu vecherom) - I will leave in the evening.
• Мы приедем в субботу. (My priyedem v subbotu) - We will arrive on Saturday.

Finally, the instrumental case can be used in certain expressions and idioms. For example:

• Руками не трогать (rukami ne trogat) - not to touch with one’s hands
• Языком чесать (yazykom chesat) - to chatter or talk excessively (literally “to scratch with one’s tongue”)

In conclusion, the instrumental case is an important case in Russian that is used to indicate the means or tool by which an action is performed or the agent or performer of an action. It is formed by adding the suffix -ом or -ем to the noun stem, depending on the gender and ending of the noun. The instrumental case is also used after certain prepositions, in compound words, and to express time and certain idiomatic expressions.