Винительный падеж - The Accusative Case - Что? Кого'?

Что? Кого?

Transitive verbs

A transitive verb is one where there is a direct object.

• I love Moscow

• She reads the newspaper

• He kicks him in the face

Basically, if someone were to say the verb and just let the unfinished sentence hang in the air, if you would instinctively ask "What?" or "Whom?", so "Что?" and "Кого?", it's transitive.

• "Last night I completely flipped and punched..."

• "What? Whom?"

• "I absolutely love..."

• "What? Whom?"

Whereas, let's take a so-called intransitive verb:

• "I live..."

• "Where?"

For the same reason that in English you don't say 'I love she', but 'I love her', we have to change the object in these cases. And in Russian the object is made into the Accusative! Like you're accusing the noun with the verb. Ok that's just my stupid way of thinking again, let's stay scientific :)

"So, how is it formed, this exciting new case?", I hear you ask.

• M - soulless things don't change. Things with soul decline exactly the same as in Родительный.

• F - а/я -> у/ю. Words ending -ь stays the same.

• N - Ending in -о/-е stays don't change.

Some practice:

• Я люблю Москву (fem. - added у)

• Он видит брата (brother is a person, has a soul)

• Мы смотрим фильм (no soul, doesn't change)

The personal pronouns also decline exactly the same as the родительный!