Reference
Use the compact tables below to orient yourself, then open a full module for explanations and worked examples.
Module 1 Verb System
Study one layer at a time: endings first, aspect second, reflexive forms third, then motion and prefixes.
Build the first regular Russian present-tense ending family.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | я: -ю / (-у) | мы: -ем / -ём |
| 2nd | ты: -ешь / -ёшь | вы: -ете / -ёте |
| 3rd | он/она/оно: -ет / -ёт | они: -ют / (-ут) |
Watch for -ю/-у, -ют/-ут, and stressed ё variants.
Open 1.01 referenceBuild the second regular Russian present-tense ending family.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | я: -ю / (-у) | мы: -им |
| 2nd | ты: -ишь | вы: -ите |
| 3rd | он/она/оно: -ит | они: -ят / (-ат) |
The ты and они forms are the safest quick diagnostic.
Open 1.02 referenceKeep Type I endings stable while changing how an event is viewed.
| Feature | Imperfective | Perfective |
|---|---|---|
| Viewpoint | process / repetition | bounded event / result |
| Non-past | present available | normally future meaning |
| Future | буду + infinitive | conjugates directly |
Aspect changes viewpoint; it does not replace the Type I ending family.
Open 1.03 referenceTransfer aspectual viewpoint to the Type II ending family.
| Feature | Imperfective | Perfective |
|---|---|---|
| Viewpoint | process / repetition | bounded event / result |
| Non-past | present available | normally future meaning |
| Future | буду + infinitive | conjugates directly |
Aspect and conjugation type remain separate dimensions.
Open 1.04 referenceAdd -ся / -сь after familiar Type I person endings.
| Position | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| After a vowel | Type I ending + -сь | занимаю + сь → занимаюсь |
| After a consonant | Type I ending + -ся | занимаешь + ся → занимаешься |
The personal ending comes before -ся/-сь.
Open 1.05 referenceAdd -ся / -сь after familiar Type II person endings.
| Position | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| After a vowel | Type II ending + -сь | учу + сь → учусь |
| After a consonant | Type II ending + -ся | учишь + ся → учишься |
The Type II diagnostic remains visible beneath the postfix.
Open 1.06 referenceCombine Type I endings, reflexive meaning, and aspect without collapsing them.
| Layer | Learner job |
|---|---|
| Type I ending | mark person and number |
| Aspect | choose process or bounded viewpoint |
| -ся / -сь | keep the reflexive lexical structure |
Combine Type II endings, reflexive meaning, and aspectual transitions.
| Layer | Learner job |
|---|---|
| Type II ending | mark person and number |
| Aspect | choose process or bounded viewpoint |
| -ся / -сь | keep the reflexive lexical structure |
Learn the motion subsystem as viewpoint and lexical pairing, not a one-direction/many-directions slogan.
| Motion | Current directed journey | Habitual / general / return-trip use |
|---|---|---|
| On foot | идти | ходить |
| By transport | ехать | ездить |
The contrast also covers viewpoint, habit, ability, and completed visits; it is not simply 'one versus many directions'.
Open 1.09 referenceTreat prefixes as meaning networks, not fixed English glosses.
| Prefix | Spatial prototype | Curriculum example |
|---|---|---|
| в-/во- | movement in | войти |
| вы- | movement out | выйти |
| при- | arrival | прийти |
| у- | departure | уйти |
A spatial prototype is a starting point, not a fixed one-word translation.
Open 1.10 referenceConjugation diagnostic
The infinitive is a clue, not a guarantee. Many -ать, -ять, and -еть verbs are Type I, while many -ить verbs are Type II. Exceptions exist in both directions, so finite forms are safer.
Module 2 Noun System
Use gender-based comparisons in the singular, stem-family patterns in the plural, and stored exception families where a single ending rule would mislead.
The noun compass: dictionary form, subject, gender, and declension pattern
| Gender | Common dictionary endings | Important caution |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | consonant, -й, some -ь | -ь alone does not decide gender |
| Feminine | -а, -я, some -ь | agreement confirms the gender |
| Neuter | -о, -е, -ё | special families are stored separately |
For nouns, the nominative singular is the dictionary form; there is no infinitive equivalent.
Open 2.01 referenceNumber, regular plural endings, spelling restrictions, stress, and plural stems
| Singular family | Common plural pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -а / -я | -ы / spelling-rule -и | книга → книги; неделя → недели |
| hard masculine | -ы / spelling-rule -и | стол → столы; врач → врачи |
| -о | often -а | окно → окна |
| -е / -ё | often -я | море → моря |
| irregular | stored plural | человек → люди |
There is no single universal plural ending.
Open 2.02 referenceLocation, topic, stable singular endings, and the restricted second locative
| Family | Common form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | -е | в городе; о брате |
| feminine -а/-я | usually -е | в школе; на неделе |
| feminine -ь | -и | о двери |
| neuter | -е or stored shape | в окне; на море |
Core prepositions are в, на, and о/об. Restricted second-locative forms are labelled separately.
Open 2.03 referenceDirect objects, goal-directed в/на, and the first systematic role for animacy
| Noun family | Accusative rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine inanimate | equals nominative | вижу стол |
| masculine animate | equals genitive | вижу брата |
| feminine -а/-я | -у / -ю | читаю книгу |
| neuter | equals nominative | вижу море |
Absence, reference, source, possession, small quantities, and restricted partitive forms
| Family | Common form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hard masculine | -а | нет стола |
| -й / masculine -ь | -я | из музея; без словаря |
| feminine -а/-я | -ы / -и | нет книги; нет недели |
| neuter | -а / -я | нет окна; у моря |
Partitive alternatives are restricted forms, not a replacement for the general genitive.
Open 2.05 referenceThe major plural formation challenge: zero endings, -ов/-ев, -ей, stem repair, and quantity
| Pattern | Typical domain | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -ов / -ев | many masculine stems | столов; музеев |
| -ей | soft or sibilant stems | словарей; ночей; морей |
| zero ending | many -а/-я and -о nouns | книг; школ; мест |
| stem adjustment | reviewed lexical patterns | окон; друзей |
| irregular | stored form | людей; детей; имён |
A fully derivable animacy system: nominative plural for inanimates, genitive plural for animates
| Noun class | Accusative plural equals | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Inanimate | nominative plural | вижу столы, книги, окна |
| Animate | genitive plural | вижу студентов, женщин, детей |
Regular -ах/-ях endings, plural stems, locations, topics, and full phrase building
| Plural stem | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| hard | -ах | в городах; о книгах |
| soft / -й / -ь / /j/ | -ях | в музеях; о неделях |
| irregular plural stem | stored stem + -ах/-ях | о людях; детях; друзьях |
Recipient, target, experiencer, age, necessity, and movement toward
| Family | Common form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine / neuter | -у / -ю | брату; морю |
| feminine -а/-я | usually -е | Анне; книге |
| feminine -ь / -ия | -и | двери; Марии |
| irregular | stored form | матери; времени |
Core uses include recipient, target, and experiencer.
Open 2.09 referenceRegular -ам/-ям, plural recipients and experiencers, к/по, and oblique numeral phrases
| Plural stem | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| hard | -ам | студентам; книгам; окнам |
| soft / /j/-related | -ям | героям; неделям; морям |
| irregular plural stem | stored stem + ending | людям; детям; друзьям |
Means, accompaniment, roles, states, spatial relations, and spelling after sibilants
| Family | Common form | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| hard masculine / neuter | -ом | столом; окном |
| soft / -й | -ем / stressed -ём | музеем; словарём |
| feminine -а/-я | -ой / -ей | книгой; неделей |
| feminine -ь | -ью | ночью; дверью |
Only pedagogically useful reviewed alternatives appear on noun details.
Open 2.11 referenceRegular -ами/-ями, special -ьми forms, plural means, companions, roles, and case-system capstone
| Plural stem | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| hard | -ами | столами; книгами; окнами |
| soft / /j/-related | -ями | музеями; неделями; морями |
| reviewed short group | -ьми | людьми; детьми; лошадьми |
Short -ьми forms belong to a small reviewed lexical group.
Open 2.12 referenceIrregular stems, indeclinables, adjectival nouns, personal names, surnames, places, and extra case remnants
| System | Examples | Learner action |
|---|---|---|
| -мя | имя; время | store the -мен- forms |
| mixed / suppletive | путь; человек → люди | store diagnostic forms |
| indeclinable | метро; пальто | read case from context |
| singular- or plural-only | Америка; деньги | respect the lexical number |
| proper name | Илья; Сочи | identify the name pattern first |
Module 3 Adjective System
Build long-form agreement across gender, number, case, and animacy before moving into short forms, comparison, meaning, formation, spelling, and system boundaries.
A long adjective describes or classifies a referent while copying the grammatical profile of its head noun.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.02 · Nominative PluralIn the plural, one adjective form serves masculine, feminine, and neuter head nouns.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.03 · Prepositional SingularIts adjective endings are regular and its location meanings create a clean contrast for later accusative destinations.
Open referenceLearn + Reference 3.04 · Accusative SingularAccusative marks many direct objects and endpoints after prepositions such as в and на.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.05 · Genitive SingularOnce a singular noun phrase is genitive, every long adjective copies that case and the noun's gender.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.06 · Genitive PluralIn the plural, gender no longer creates different long-adjective endings.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.07 · Accusative PluralAll plural adjective phrases divide by animacy, regardless of the singular noun's gender.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.08 · Prepositional PluralAfter a preposition selecting the prepositional case, every long adjective uses -ых/-их with a plural head.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.09 · Dative SingularDative commonly presents a participant as recipient, beneficiary, experiencer, target, or reference point.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.10 · Dative PluralPlural recipients, experiencers, targets, and reference points take -ым/-им on long adjectives.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.11 · Instrumental SingularInstrumental relates an entity to an action or state as means, companion, role, property, or spatial reference.
Open referenceLearn + Reference 3.12 · Instrumental PluralEvery long adjective takes -ыми/-ими with a plural instrumental head.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.13 · Short-Form AdjectivesShort adjectives are not casual abbreviations: they are a distinct inflectional series used mainly as predicates.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.14 · Predicate Choice and Adjective GovernmentBefore choosing a form, determine whether the adjective modifies a noun, forms the main predicate, or adds a secondary state to an event participant.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.15 · ComparativesA comparative orders two values on a scale such as size, speed, age, intensity, or quality.
Open referenceVerified Practice + Quiz 3.16 · SuperlativesA relative superlative locates one member at an extreme of an understood or stated group.
Open referenceLearn + Reference 3.17 · Semantic Classes and Word FormationTraditional Russian grammar distinguishes qualitative, relative, and possessive adjectives by the kind of relation they express.
Open referenceLearn + Reference 3.18 · Possessive and Mixed-Declension AdjectivesRussian distributes English 'possessive' meanings across genitive noun phrases, у + genitive constructions, and a restricted class of possessive adjectives.
Open referenceLearn + Reference 3.19 · Substantivised and Invariant AdjectivesRussian can omit or lexicalise the noun while an adjectival form carries the phrase's grammatical features.
Open referenceLearn + Reference 3.20 · Orthography I: Suffixes and Н/ННН/нн is not one rule: first identify the source and word-formation path.
Open referenceLearn + Reference 3.21 · Orthography II: НЕ, Compounds, Spacing, and CapitalsSolid не- often asserts a negative quality; separate не negates or contrasts the positive adjective.
Open referenceLearn + Reference 3.22 · System Boundaries and Complete MasteryLong agreement morphology is shared by several categories, so form alone does not prove 'adjective'.
Open referenceCatalogs
Open a catalog when you want a lexical entry and its stored forms.
Organised into 500 aspect sets, with independent lexical routes and filters.
Noun catalog 477 nounsBrowse by gender, animacy, number use, and stored declension family.
Adjective catalog 174 production adjectivesBrowse verified long forms, diagnostics, and conditional short-form, comparison, government, and formation data.
Verb foundations Module 1 teaching flowStart at 1.01, then progress through aspect, reflexives, motion, and prefixes.
Noun foundations Module 2 teaching flowStart at 2.01, then progress through singular, plural, agreement, and special-noun systems.
Adjective foundations Module 3 teaching flowStudy 22 ordered steps from long-form agreement to adjective-specific systems and boundary diagnostics.