Case 1 · Кто? Что?
Именительный
Nominative(Imenitel'nyy)
The dictionary form — the subject of the sentence, and the form you look up. Present «is» is often a dash (Он врач), with both sides in nominative.
How it works
The dictionary form — the subject of the sentence, and the form you look up. Present «is» is often a dash (Он врач), with both sides in nominative.
Then open Chart, Nouns, Adjectives, Exceptions, and Examples in that order.
When to use it
- As the subject: who or what is doing the action — Студент читает.
- Simple identification with a dash or no verb: Он — врач. Это книга.
- In labels, titles, and dictionary entries
- When naming people or things without a governing verb or preposition
Common prepositions
Nominative usually appears without a case-governing preposition.
Pro tip
If you can ask «Кто?» or «Что?» about the doer, you almost always want nominative.