The general endings -ам and -ям
Dative plural is highly regular once the plural stem is known.
- Gender has little independent work in the plural ending. The main task is to retrieve the correct plural stem and stress, then attach -ам/-ям.
- Paradigm economy: Plural dative, instrumental, and prepositional are more unified than their singular counterparts: -ам/-ям, -ами/-ями, -ах/-ях.
| Stem type | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| hard | -ам | студе́нтам, кни́гам, о́кнам |
| soft / /j/-related | -ям | геро́ям, неде́лям, моря́м |
| irregular plural stem | regular ending on stored stem | лю́дям, де́тям, друзья́м |
Mini-check
1. Choose -ам or -ям for кни́ги and музе́и. 2. What must be stored before forming друзья́м?
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.