Noun reference

чай

tea

Masculine · Inanimate

Masculine -й · Special pattern

Case paradigm

Singular and plural together

Compare each case across both numbers. The forms below are the noun's stored reference paradigm.

Singular and plural case forms for чай
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	чай	чаи
Accusative	чай	чаи
Genitive	чаяPartitive variant: чаю Accepted in practice	чаёв
Dative	чаю	чаям
Instrumental	чаем	чаями
Prepositional	чае	чаях

Form pattern

How the forms are built

The paradigm above is authoritative. These notes expose a transparent ending change only when the stored declension family supports one.

Nominative · Plural чай → чаи

This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Show all case-build notes

Nominative · Singular чай This is the dictionary form used to identify the noun.

Nominative · Plural чай → чаи This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Accusative · Singular чай → чай This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Accusative · Plural чай → чаи This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Genitive · Singular чай → чая This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Genitive · Plural чай → чаёв This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Dative · Singular чай → чаю This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Dative · Plural чай → чаям This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Instrumental · Singular чай → чаем This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Instrumental · Plural чай → чаями This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Prepositional · Singular чай → чае This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.

Prepositional · Plural чай → чаях This form belongs to a reviewed special pattern, so it is shown as a stored form rather than a guessed suffix swap.