Personal Pronouns in Russian: Subject and Object Forms

Personal pronouns in Russian change their form depending on their grammatical role in a sentence. These pronouns are used to replace nouns and can indicate the subject of the sentence (who is performing the action) or the object of the sentence (who or what is receiving the action). Like nouns, pronouns in Russian also decline according to case and number, and they have different forms for singular and plural usage.
In this article, we will explore the subject and object forms of personal pronouns in Russian, along with examples and explanations of their usage.
1. Subject Pronouns (Nominative Case)
Subject pronouns are used as the subject of a sentence, meaning they are the ones performing the action. In Russian, the subject pronouns are as follows:
Pronoun | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
I | Я (ya) | Мы (my) |
You | Ты (ty) | Вы (vy) (formal/plural) |
He | Он (on) | Они (oni) |
She | Она (ona) | |
It | Оно (ono) |
Example Sentences with Subject Pronouns:
- Я учу русский язык. (I am learning Russian.)
- Ты читаешь книгу. (You are reading a book.)
- Она работает в офисе. (She works in the office.)
- Мы любим путешествовать. (We love to travel.)
- Они играют в футбол. (They are playing football.)
2. Object Pronouns (Accusative Case)
Object pronouns are used when the pronoun is the direct object of the action (the receiver of the action). In the accusative case, the forms of personal pronouns change slightly. Here are the object pronouns for singular and plural forms:
Pronoun | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Me | Меня (menya) | Нас (nas) |
You (informal) | Тебя (tebya) | Вас (vas) (formal/plural) |
Him | Его (yevo) | Их (ikh) |
Her | Её (yeyo) | |
It | Его (yevo) (masc.) / Её (yeyo) (fem.) |
Example Sentences with Object Pronouns:
- Он видит меня. (He sees me.)
- Я люблю тебя. (I love you.)
- Она не понимает его. (She doesn’t understand him.)
- Мы ищем их. (We are looking for them.)
3. Object Pronouns (Dative Case)
In addition to the accusative case, Russian pronouns also change in the dative case, which is used for the indirect object of the sentence (the recipient of the action, but not the direct receiver). Here are the dative forms of personal pronouns:
Pronoun | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
To me | Мне (mne) | Нам (nam) |
To you (informal) | Тебе (tebe) | Вам (vam) (formal/plural) |
To him | Ему (yemu) | Им (im) |
To her | Ей (yey) | |
To it | Ему (yemu) (masc./neuter) / Ей (yey) (fem.) |
Example Sentences with Dative Pronouns:
- Она мне помогает. (She helps me.)
- Я расскажу тебе историю. (I will tell you a story.)
- Мы купим им подарки. (We will buy them gifts.)
4. Reflexive Pronoun
The reflexive pronoun себя (sebyá) is used to refer back to the subject of the sentence. It is not declined by gender, number, or case like the personal pronouns, but it changes in the accusative and genitive cases.
Pronoun | Nominative | Accusative | Genitive |
---|---|---|---|
Reflexive | Себя (sebyá) | Себя (sebyá) | Себя (sebyá) |
Example Sentences with Reflexive Pronoun:
- Я вижу себя в зеркале. (I see myself in the mirror.)
- Она гордится собой. (She is proud of herself.)
5. Usage of Subject and Object Pronouns Together
In some sentences, both subject and object pronouns may be used together, where the subject pronoun indicates who is performing the action, and the object pronoun shows who is receiving it.
Example Sentences:
- Я тебя люблю. (I love you.)
- Он меня не слышит. (He doesn’t hear me.)
- Она нас видит. (She sees us.)
6. Politeness and Formality: «You» Pronouns
In Russian, there are two ways to say «you»:
- Ты (ty) is used for informal situations (friends, family, people you are close to).
- Вы (vy) is used for formal situations (with strangers, elders, or in professional settings) or when addressing more than one person.
The form of the pronoun вы (vy) is used for both singular formal and plural situations, which is important to keep in mind when speaking to multiple people or in formal contexts.
7. Conclusion
Personal pronouns in Russian are integral to constructing grammatically correct sentences. By understanding the subject and object forms of personal pronouns, you can more easily communicate and express actions in the language. The pronouns also change based on the case (nominative, accusative, dative) and are essential for proper sentence structure in Russian.