The nominative is the easiest case because it is barely a case: it is the “as-is” dictionary form of a noun, with no ending changes. So the real content here is when it applies and, more usefully, how Russian builds plurals.
When to use it
Answers кто? / что? (who? / what?). Use the nominative for:
- Introducing or stating existence: Это машина (this is a car), Это мой брат (this is my brother).
- The subject of a sentence: Моя машина белая (my car is white), Мой брат работает в Торонто (my brother works in Toronto).
- After есть (there is / there are), including possession, which is the tricky one: Russian says У меня есть машина, literally “at me there is a car”, and машина stays nominative because it follows есть. Likewise В Колорадо есть горы (there are mountains in Colorado).
Forming the plural
Most nouns (90%+) take -ы or -и. Add it to a noun ending in a consonant, or replace the final vowel:
- телефон → телефоны (phones), машина → машины (cars).
Use -и (not -ы) when the last consonant is one of the seven: г, к, х, ж, ч, ш, щ. This is a spelling rule you will meet in every case.
- книга → книги (books), яблоко → яблоки (apples).
At lower levels do not stress about -ы vs -и; they sound similar and a Russian will just hear an accent.
The -а / -я plural (very common, not really an exception)
A large group (5-10%+) takes a stressed -а / -я:
- дом → дома́ (houses), глаз → глаза́ (eyes), вечер → вечера́ (evenings), поезд → поезда́ (trains), облако → облака́ (clouds), учитель → учителя́ (teachers), доктор → доктора́ (doctors).
Plural-only nouns
Some nouns that are singular in English are plural in Russian and have no singular form:
- деньги (money), часы (a clock or wristwatch).
Irregular plurals to memorise
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| друг | друзья | friends |
| брат | братья | brothers |
| сестра | сёстры | sisters |
| сын | сыновья | sons |
| стул | стулья | chairs |
| дерево | деревья | trees |
Watch the near-twins: стул → сту́лья (chairs) but стол → столы́ (tables/desks). The stress often shifts in the plural too.
Lessons worth keeping
- The nominative is the dictionary form and the sentence subject - no ending to change.
- Possession with “have” uses У меня есть + nominative, because the thing follows есть.
- Default plural is -ы, switch to -и after г к х ж ч ш щ.
- A big, common group takes stressed -а / -я (дома, глаза, учителя); treat it as normal, not exceptional.
- Memorise the irregulars (друзья, братья, сёстры, сыновья, стулья, деревья) and the plural-only nouns (деньги, часы).
Related
- russian-case-system - the overview.
- accusative-case - the case the subject’s action lands on.
Sources
- youtube.com/watch?v=5JpEa9vFZE8 - Russian Readers, “The Nominative Case and Plural of Nouns”.
- Full transcript: nominative-case