GrammatikInstrumental
Alles über den Russischen Instrumental.
Instrumental
Hinweis: Die Grammatikartikel sind noch neu und wir arbeiten teilweise noch daran. Zurzeit sind sie nur auf Englisch verfügbar, in circa zwei Monaten dann aber auch in Deutsch.
In Russian the Instrumental is the case of "tools and professions." While it is frequently used with the preposition с (with), many of the most important verbs in Russian demand the Instrumental case without any preposition at all.
When to use Instrumental
Here is the overview of when to use the Instrumental case:
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| Tool/Instrument | - I write with a pencil. |
| Preposition с (with) | - with a friend |
| Profession | - to be a teacher |
| Season of year Time of day | - It's cold in winter. - It's cold in the morning. |
| Some spatial prepositions | - under the table - above the sofa - behind the cloud - in front of the house - between mom and dad - next to the bank |
| Some advanced verbs see below | for hobbies for management and control for emotions and attitudes |
| Passive agent | - Made by a robot |
| Route | - To drive through/via the field |
1. Instruments and Means (The "Tool" Use)
This is the most literal use of the case. When you use an object to perform an action, that object goes into the Instrumental.
- - I write with a pencil.
- - We eat soup with a spoon.
- - He arrived by train.
2. Preposition с - with
с is the most common preposition for the Instrumental case. It indicates accompaniment or "togetherness."
Examples:
- - Coffee with milk.
- - I am going to the cinema with a friend.
Important: Do not use "с" when you are using a tool. Correct: Я пишу́ ру́чкой. - I write with/using a pen - no preposition. Wrong: Я пишу́ с ру́чкой. - I am writing together with my pen - as if it's your companion.
3. Identity, Status, and Professions
These are the most frequent verbs. Use the Instrumental to describe what someone is, becomes, or works as.
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| быть to be | He wants to be a doctor. |
| станови́ться / стать to become | She became an actress. |
| рабо́тать / порабо́тать to work as | I work as an engineer. |
| явля́ться / яви́ться to be - formal | This is [constitutes] a problem. |
| каза́ться / показа́ться to seem | He seems like a smart person. |
4. Time and Seasons
When describing parts of the day or seasons as a general timeframe (answering "When?"), use the Instrumental.
Seasons:
- - in summer
- - in winter
- - in autumn
- - in spring
- In winter we often ski.
Times of day:
- - in the morning
- - during the day
- - in the evening
- - at night
- In the morning I drink coffee.
5. Some spatial prepositions
These prepositions answer the question где? (where?). But note that the most important spatial preposition is в (in) and takes prepositional, not instrumental.
| Preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| под under | under the table |
| над above | above the sofa |
| за behind | behind the cloud |
| пе́ред in front of | in front of the house |
| ме́жду between | between mom and dad |
A few of these, specifically за (behind) and под (under), can take either the Accusative or the Instrumental depending on whether there is movement.
Example for movement, using Accusative: Я кладу́ кни́гу под стол. - I put the book under the table.
Example for static location, using Instrumental: Кни́га лежи́т под столо́м. - The book is under the table.
6. Verbs
Some advanced verbs demand the Instrumental case.
Verbs for Interests and Activities
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| занима́ться / заня́ться to do / to study / to practice | We do sports. |
| интересова́ться / заинтересова́ться to be interested in | I'm interested in history. |
| увлека́ться / увле́чься to be keen on / fond of | She is into music. |
| по́льзоваться / воспо́льзоваться to use / to make use of | He uses a computer. |
Verbs for Management and Control
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| управля́ть to manage / to drive | Who manages the company? |
| руководи́ть to lead / to direct | He leads the department. |
| кома́ндовать to command | The general commands the army. |
| владе́ть to own / to master a language | Do you have command of the Russian language? |
Verbs for Emotions and Attitudes
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| горди́ться to be proud of | We are proud of our son. |
| восхища́ться / восхити́ться to admire / be delighted by | I admire your talent. |
| же́ртвовать / поже́ртвовать to sacrifice | He sacrificed his career. |
7. Passive Voice (The Agent)
In passive constructions, the person or thing performing the action is put into the Instrumental case.
Active: - Pushkin wrote this poem.
Passive: - This poem was written by Pushkin.
Note that Russian uses the passive much less than English: in everyday speech an active sentence is usually preferred, and the participle passive shown here belongs mostly to formal and written Russian (news, documents, science). For all the details see the passive voice article.
8. Using with routes
When the Instrumental case is used for a route, it describes the space or path through which an action moves. In English, we usually express this as "by," "through," "via," or "along."
This usage is unique because it doesn't require a preposition like "through" (че́рез). The noun itself, in its Instrumental form, acts as the path.
Common Spatial Routes
You use this when movement occurs across or through a specific type of terrain.
| Route | Example |
|---|---|
| по́лем through/via the field | We walked through the field. |
| ле́сом through/via the forest | The path goes through the forest. |
| бе́регом along the shore | They strolled along the riverbank. |
| доро́гой by way of the road | Let's go by/via a different road. |
Using "Parts" of a Route
It is often used to describe moving through specific architectural or geographical features.
| Route | Example |
|---|---|
| коридо́ром through the corridor | He walked through the long corridor. |
| ле́стницей via the stairs | Go up via the back stairs. |
Abstract or "Method" Routes
Sometimes the "route" isn't a physical path, but a method of travel or a metaphorical direction.
| Route | Example |
|---|---|
| во́здухом by air | The cargo was sent by air. |
| мо́рем by sea | The cargo was sent by sea. |
| путём by way of | We solved the problem by peaceful means/way. |
While you can use prepositions like че́рез (through) or по (along), the Instrumental case on its own often sounds more poetic or natural for "wandering" or "following a path".
Route: Шли ле́сом (focus on the path itself) vs Шли че́рез лес (focus on entering/exiting).
Surface: Е́хали по́лем (moving across the expanse) vs Е́хали по по́лю (moving along the surface).
A common idiom: Literally: Go through the forest! Actual meaning: "Get lost!" or "Go away!".
11. Some fixed expressions
- Happy New Year! - literally "With the New Year!"
- by the way / incidentally
- before sleep/bedtime
Instrumental Case - Declension Overview
Quick reference for nouns full rules and tables
| Noun | Instrumental Singular | Instrumental Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -ом / -ем (-ём) стол → столо́м учи́тель → учи́телем | -ами / -ями столы́ → стола́ми учителя́ → учителя́ми |
| Feminine | -ой / -ей / -ью кни́га → кни́гой ночь → но́чью | -ами / -ями кни́ги → кни́гами но́чи → ноча́ми |
| Neuter | -ом / -ем окно́ → окно́м мо́ре → мо́рем | -ами / -ями о́кна → о́кнами моря́ → моря́ми |
Optional Endings: In formal or poetic Russian, you might see -ою or -ею for feminine nouns (e.g., кни́гою), but -ой/-ей is the standard in modern Russian.
Quick reference for adjectives full rules and tables
| Adjective Type | Instrumental Singular | Instrumental Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -ым / -им но́вый → но́вым си́ний → си́ним | -ыми / -ими но́вые → но́выми си́ние → си́ними |
| Feminine | -ой / -ей но́вая → но́вой си́няя → си́ней | -ыми / -ими но́вые → но́выми си́ние → си́ними |
| Neuter | -ым / -им но́вое → но́вым си́нее → си́ним | -ыми / -ими но́вые → но́выми си́ние → си́ними |
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