ABSTRACT
The genitive case is one of the six Russian cases. In a sentence or a phrase, the genitive has several roles. It can be used with or without a preposition. This chapter provides a summary of noun endings in the genitive case and explains its grammatical roles. The genitive case is the only case that has several different endings and several exceptions. In Russian, a noun in the genitive case is used after another noun in possessive constructions or constructions that describe the relationship between two objects. In Russian, the noun in the genitive case always follows the noun that it describes. The genitive case is used in constructions that describe the absence of someone or something in the present, past or future. The main grammatical role of the genitive case with a preposition is to indicate ownership in possessive constructions. Several verbs require the genitive case with a preposition.
