In English we say “I have a pencil.” But Russians think about it a little differently and say “By me there is a pencil.” To build a Russian sentence about having or not having, take one word from each of the first three columns of this universal language generator and then a word from that part of column four which starts at the word from column three.
By | Whom* | Is/Is no | What is or is not | Notes |
У Beside |
кого́ whom |
есть is there/there is |
вопро́с a question |
With есть we use the nominative case for the thing in the fourth column |
меня́ me |
отве́т an answer |
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нас us |
каранда́ш a pencil |
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тебя́ thee |
Би́блия a/the Bible |
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вас you |
наде́жда a/the hope |
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него́ him |
ру́чка a pen |
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неё her |
де́ньги money |
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них them |
нет is there no/there is no |
вопро́са question |
With нет we use the genitive case for the thing in the fourth column. Simplified rules: Masculine: add -а Feminine: change -а to -ы, -я to -и Neuter: change -о to -а, -е to -я Masculine plural: add -ов Feminine and neuter plural: drop final vowel |
|
Ива́на John |
отве́та answer |
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А́нны Anna |
каранда́ша pencil |
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Би́блии Bible |
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наде́жды hope |
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ру́чки pen |
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де́нег money |
*If you add words to this column, be sure to put them in the genitive case. Refer to the grammar handouts named in the See Also box.
У меня есть карандаш.
У кого́ есть Би́блия? |
By whom is there a Bible? (Who has a Bible?) |
У него́ есть Би́блия. |
By him there is a Bible. (He has a Bible.) |
У меня́ нет Би́блии. |
By me there is no Bible. (I do not have a Bible.) |