Case of a noun

[CSHY]

1) How do you decide/choose which case to take of the noun after a preposition?

(I had taken it that a noun following a preposition will take the prepositonal case, but then found that it is not all the case🙄🙄 )

2) And how do you decide/choose which case to take of the noun used as the object of a verb?

 

[Awwal12]

In Slavic languages prepositions and grammatical cases form a combined system to reflect particular meanings. For many prepositions the exact meaning depends on the following case. For instance, "в" will be plainly locative (i.e. will describe being located inside sth, prototypically at least) when followed by a noun phrase in the prepositional case, but will be directive (i.e. will describe moving into something) when the following NP is accusative.

Я сейчас в Москве. - I'm in Moscow now.
Я еду в Москву. - I'm going to Moscow.

The prepositional case in Russian is called "prepositional" simply because it occurs only after various prepositions; it by no means implies that all prepositions are followed by the prepositional case. In Slavistics the same case is known as locative, but in Russian the name "locative" is reserved for a marginal case (that has distinct forms only for a limited number of masculine nouns) which has the meaning of being located somewhere or covered in something (used with "в" or, in the first meaning, with "на" where applicable, overriding the normally expected prepositional case: e.g. в лесу́, в снегу́, на снегу́; cf. prepositional о ле́се and dative ле́су).

 

[Vovan]

(I had taken it that a noun following a preposition will take the prepositional case, but then found that it is not all the case🙄🙄 )

We choose the correct case of a noun after a certain preposition in the same way as we do, say, after verbal forms or nouns. That is, we almost never think about that, doing it all automatically.

For learners of Russian, it is advisable to learn which case(s) to use with a noun following a certain word at the very same time they're learning the word that takes (or can take) an object. That's how Russian kids learn the cases. For example:

гордиться (чем? / творит. пад.) успехами​

для (чего? / родит. пад.) ремонта​

Of course, semantic generalisation regarding the cases could be made (and are made), but they are of limited help for the learner.

(Cross-posted.)

 

[pimlicodude]

2) And how do you decide/choose which case to take of the noun used as the object of a verb?

Normally Accusative, but after negation very often Genitive. As Vovan points out, reflexive verbs contain their own accusative in the reflexive suffix and so a governed noun (which might in some other language appear to be in an accusative relationship) is not normally accusative. изучить что, учиться чему.

 

[Awwal12]

And how do you decide/choose which case to take of the noun used as the object of a verb?

If it's a direct object, it will be normally accusative (though what kind of objects - and arguments in general - some verb takes is a part of its government model and is poorly predictable).

However, please bear in mind that in certain syntactical and semantic circumstances the accusative case of the direct object may be overridden by the genitive or the second genitive (a.k.a. partitive) case. That usually happens in negated sentences and/or when the partitive meaning ("some amount of") of the direct object's referent is implied. For negated sentences, the precise conditions and the resulting nuances of the meaning (as often the accusative case also remains as an option) ultimately depend on the particular verb.

(Cross-posted. )

 

[CSHY]

I love your explanations. All are helpful. Thank you!