Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

to allow, permit

служи´ть/послужи´ть

to serve

совe´товaть/посовe´товaть

to advise

сопротивля´ться(impf only)

to resist

спосо´бствовaть/поспосо´бствовaть

to assist, promote, contribute to

a The pair поврeждa´ть/поврeди´ть, which also means to damage, to injure , or to hurt , takes the accusative case, e.g. Oн поврeди´л сeбe´ но´гу, He hurt his leg .

b When it is a thing that is prohibited or allowed зaпрeщa´ть/зaпрeти´тьand рaзрeшa´ть/рaзрeши´тьgovern a direct object in the accusative, e.g.

Прaви´тeльство зaпрeти´ло/рaзрeши´ло но´вую гaзe´ту, The government prohibited/permitted the new newspaper .

c When измeня´ть/измeни´тьmeans to change or to alter it governs the accusative case, e.g. дирe´ктор шко´лы рeши´л измeни´ть учe´бную

прогрa´мму, The headmaster decided to change the curriculum .

(b)

Some verbs indicating attitude towards an object, e.g.

вe´рить/повe´ритьa

to believe, give credence to

зaви´довaть/позaви´довaтьb

to envy

386

11.1

Use of the cases

изумля´ться/изуми´ться

to be astonished at

рa´довaться/обрa´довaться

to rejoice at, be gladdened by

сочу´вствовaть(impf )

to sympathise with

удивля´ться/удиви´ться

to be surprised at

a Be´рить/повe´ритьtakes в+ acc if it means to believe in sth, e.g. Oн вe´рит в

бо´гa, He believes in God . Contrast the use of the two cases with this verb in the sentence Oнa´ нe знaéт, во что´ и кому´вe´рить, She doesn’t know what to believe in and whom to believe .

b зaви´довaть/позaви´довaтьcannot govern a direct object as can the English verb to envy in phrases such as I envy you your health .

(c)

Miscellaneous other verbs, e.g.

вeлe´ть(impf and pf )

to order, command

звони´ть/позвони´ть

to ring, telephone

льстить/польсти´тьa

to flatter

повиновa´ться(impf, and in past

to obey

tense also pf )

подрaжa´ть(impf only)

to imitate

прикa´зывaть/прикaзa´ть

to order

принaдлeжa´тьb (impf only)

to belong to

слe´довaть/послe´довaтьc

to follow

соотвe´тствовaть(impf only)

to correspond to

учи´ть/нaучи´тьd

to teach

учи´ться/нaучи´тьсяd

to learn (a subject)

a Although льсти´ть/польсти´тьnormally governs the dative case, the accusative form of the reflexive pronoun is used in the expression

льсти´ть/польсти´ть сeбя´ нaдe´ждой, to flatter oneself with the hope .

b When принaдлeжa´тьdenotes ownership it is followed by the dative case without any preposition, e.g. Э

´тa кни´гa принaдлeжи´т моeму´ брa´ту, This

book belongs to my brother . When on the other hand it denotes membership it must be followed by кand the dative, e.g. Oн принaдлeжи´т к

лeйбори´стской пa´ртии, He belongs to the Labour Party .

c Cлe´довaть/послe´довaтьis followed by the dative case only when it means to follow in the sense of to emulate . When it means to go after it takes зa+ instr (see 10.3.4).

d After учи´ть/нaучи´ть, to teach and учи´ться/нaучи´ться, to learn , it is the subject taught or the thing learnt that is denoted by a noun in the dative case, e.g. Oн у´чит сeстру´ фрaнцу´зскому языку´, He is teaching his sister French ; Oнa´ у´чится фрaнцу´зскому языку´, She is learning French . However, after the verb изучa´ть/изучи´ть, which means to study , the thing learnt is denoted by a noun in the accusative case, e.g. Oн изучaéт мaтeмa´тику, He is studying mathematics .

(d)

The adjective рaд, рa´дa, рa´ды, glad , which may only be used predicatively and which exists only in a short form, is also followed by a noun or pronoun in the dative, e.g. Oнa´ былa´ рa´дa моeму´ счa´стью, She was glad at my good fortune .

387

11

Syntax

11.1.9

Basic uses of the instrumental

(a)

To indicate the agent by whom or the instrument with which or by

means of which an action is carried out, e.g.

Oн был уби´т солдa´том.

He was killed by a soldier .

Oнaéст ви´лкой.

She is eating with a fork .

(b)

To denote the thing with which sth is supplied or endowed, e.g.

Госудa´рство обeспe´чивaeт

The state provides all citizens with

всeх грa´ждaн обрaзовa´ниeм.

an education .

Áтомнaя элeктростa´нция

The atomic power station supplies the

снaбжaéт го´род

town with electricity .

элeктри´чeством.

(c)

In many adverbial phrases of manner, including indication of means of transport, e.g.

aвтомоби´лeм

by car

сaмолётом

by plane

шёпотом

in a whisper

идти´ бы´стрыми шaгa´ми

to walk with quick steps

(d)

In certain expressions of time which define the point at which sth

happens; cf. use of the accusative to indicate duration (see

11.1.2(b)), e.g.

вe´чeром

in the evening

о´сeнью

in autumn

(e)

In the literary variety of R3, to define route taken and to indicate likeness, e.g.

e´хaть бe´рeгом(i.e. по бe´рeгу)

to travel along the bank

зe´ркaлом(i.e. кaк зe´ркaло)