Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

like a mirror

(f )

In certain impersonal constructions indicating the agency of some

force of nature, e.g.

доро´гу зaнeсло´ снe´гом.

The road was covered in snow .

лугa´ зa´лило водо´й.

The meadows were flooded with water .

Кры´шу сду´ло вe´тром.

The roof was blown off by the wind .

11.1.10

Verbs governing the instrumental

(a)

Many verbs indicating control, command, government, direction or

use. Some of these verbs are by their nature not capable of having

perfective forms.

влaдe´ть

to command, master, own

дирижи´ровaть

to conduct (orchestra)

зaвe´довaть

to be in charge of, manage, run

комa´ндовaть

to command (armed forces)

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11.1

Use of the cases

облaдa´ть

to possess

по´льзовaться/воспо´льзовaться

to use, make use of, enjoy (in sense

dispose of )

Note:

the verb испо´льзовaть(no pf ), to utilise , on the other hand, governs the accusative case.

прa´вить

to govern, rule, drive (vehicle)

рaсполaгa´ть

to have at one’s disposal

рaспоряжa´ться/рaспоряди´ться

to manage, deal with

руководи´ть

to manage, direct

упрaвля´ть

to govern, rule, drive (vehicle)

(b)

A number of verbs indicating attitude towards sth. Some of these too exist only in an imperfective form.

восхищa´ться/восхити´ться

to admire (i.e. to be very impressed

by )

горди´ться(no pf )

to be proud of

дорожи´ть(no pf )

to value, prize

интeрeсовa´ться/

to be interested in

зaинтeрeсовa´ться

любовa´ться/полюбовa´ться

to admire (i.e. to enjoy looking at ;

see 3.7)

нaслaждa´ться/нaслaди´ться

to enjoy

прeнeбрeгa´ть/прeнeбрe´чь

to ignore, neglect

увлeкa´ться/увлe´чься

to be fond of, be carried away by,

be obsessed with (see 3.7)

хвa´стaться/похвa´стaться

to boast of

(c)

A number of verbs which indicate movement of sth, especially of part of the subject’s body, or making a sound with sth, e.g.

бряцa´ть(no pf ) цe´пью

to rattle, clank a chain

виля´ть/вильну´ть хвосто´м

to wag (its) tail

дви´гaть/дви´нуть ного´й

to move (one’s) foot

звeнe´ть(no pf ) дeньгa´ми

to jingle money

кaчa´ть/покaчa´ть голово´й

to shake (one’s) head

кивa´ть/кивну´ть голово´й

to nod (one’s) head

мaхa´ть/мaхну´ть руко´й

to wave (one’s) hand

мигa´ть/мигну´тьor

to wink, blink (one’s) eye

моргa´ть/моргну´ть глa´зом

пожимa´ть/пожa´ть плeчa´ми

to shrug (one’s) shoulders

рaзмa´хивaть(no pf ) мeчо´м

to brandish a sword

то´пaть/то´пнуть ного´й

to stamp (one’s) foot

хло´пaть/хло´пнуть двe´рью

to slam a door

шa´ркaть/шa´ркнуть ного´й

to shuffle (one’s) foot

Note:

when the part of the body belongs to someone other than the subject then the accusative is used, e.g. пожимa´ть/пожa´ть кому´-н ру´ку, to shake sb’s [i.e. sb else’s ] hand .

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11

Syntax

(d)

Miscellaneous other verbs, e.g.

дышa´ть(no pf )

to breathe

жe´ртвовaть/пожe´ртвовaть

to sacrifice

зaнимa´ться/зaня´ться

to be engaged in, be occupied with,

study

злоупотрeбля´ть/злоупотрeби´ть

to abuse

пa´хнуть(impf only)

to smell of (used impersonally)

рисковa´ть(no pf )

to risk, hazard

стрaдa´ть(no pf )

to suffer from

Note:

used with the instrumental case стрaдa´тьimplies chronic or permanent predicament, e.g. стрaдa´ть диaбe´том, to suffer from diabetes ; стрaдa´ть от

implies more temporary suffering, e.g. стрaдa´ть от зубно´й бо´ли, to suffer from toothache .

(e)

The instrumental is also used in nouns which function as the

complement of быть, to be . Modern usage is as follows.

r The instrumental is used when the verb occurs in the infinitive ( быть), future ( бу´ду, etc.), conditional ( был/былa´/бы´ло/бы´ли бы), imperative ( будьоr бу´дьтe) or as a gerund ( бу´дучи), e.g.

Oн хо´чeт быть инжeнe´ром.

He wants to be an engineer .

Oн бу´дeт дипломa´том.

He will be a diplomat .

Бу´дьтe врaчо´м.

Be a doctor .

Бу´дучи дурaко´м, он нe по´нял.

Being a fool, he didn’t understand .

r The instrumental is also normally used nowadays with the past tense ( был, etc.), e.g.

B мо´лодости он был

In his youth he was an outstanding

выдaю´щимся спортсмe´ном.

sportsman .

Tолсто´й был вeли´ким

Tolstoi was a great writer .

писa´тeлeм.

Note:

grammarians make a distinction between temporary state (in which case the instrumental is obligatory) and permanent state (as in the second example above, in which case the nominative may be used, giving вeли´кий писa´тeль).

However, the choice is not one the student needs to agonise over, and one is now on safe ground if one always uses an instrumental complement with быть. (On identification of subject and complement see 4.2, явля´ться, note 2.)