Colloquial Russian

84 Unit 6: Идём в го�сти!

Reflexive verbs can be used in Russian to translate the passive: Они�

называ�ются кpоссо�вки ‘They are called (call themselves) trainers’;

Цветы� продаю�тся ‘Flowers are sold’.

Some Russian verbs with an ending -ся, e.g. стара�ться ‘to try’ do

not have an obvious reflexive or passive meaning.

Упражне�ние 2

Choose the correct verb.

Мать (одева�ет/одева�ется) ребёнка. Микрорайо�н (называе�т/

называе�тся) Черта�ново. У�тром я (умыва�ю/умыва�юсь) и (одева�ю/

одева�юсь). Тама�ра (умыва�ет/умыва�ется) И�рочкy.

Dative case

Endings of the dative singular

Masculine nouns ending in а consonant add -y and neuter nouns end-

ing in -o replace it by -y: дом – до�мy; у�трo – у�тру. Remember that

some masculine nouns drop the vowel о, е, ё from the last syllable

of the nominative form when other endings are added: оте�ц – отцу�;

пирожо�к – пирожку�. Masculine nouns ending in -ь or -й and neuter

nouns ending in -e replace those endings by-ю: Кремль – Кремлю�;

чaй – ча�ю; сожале�ние – сожале�нию.

Feminine nouns take the same endings for the dative singular as they

do for the prepositional singular: же�нщина – же�нщине; профессия – �

профессии; по� �мощь – по�мощи. Note дочь – дочери; мать – ма� �тери.

Neuter nouns ending in -мя take the ending -ени: и�мя – и�мени.

The dative of personal pronouns

Nominative я ты он/оно� она� мы вы они�

Dative мне тебе� ему� ей нам вам им

Uses of the dative case

(a) In a Russian sentence, the indirect object of the verb goes into the

dative case. Verbs such as ‘to give’, ‘to explain’, ‘to tell’, ‘to show’, ‘to

offer’ are often followed by an indirect as well as a direct object. In

English, this indirect object may be preceded by the preposition ‘to’:

Oн даёт сви�тер Тама�ре ‘He gives the sweater to Tamara’.