1. Nouns in Russian language have:
• two classes: animate, inanimate;
• two numbers: singular, plural;
• three genders: masculine, feminine, neuter;

Declension in six cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, prepositional.
In dictionaries nouns are given in the nominative singular. Animate nouns answer the question "who?" кто? Inanimate nouns answer the question "what?" что?

2. Gender of the nouns
Animate nouns have two genders: masculine and feminine. Inanimate nouns have three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. The endings of nouns indicate their gender:
• consonant: indicates masculine gender: стол— table, лимон — lemon, банк — bank;
• endings -а, -я, indicate feminine gender: лампа — lamp, сестра — sister, виза — visa, идея — idea;
• endings -o, -e, indicate neuter gender: пальто — coat, окно — window, вино — wine;
• nouns ending in a soft sign (-ь) may be either feminine (ночь — night, дочь — daughter) or masculine (соль — salt, календарь — calendar, рубль - ruble).

Exception:
• Words indicating masculine kinship: папа — dad, дедушка - grandfather are masculine nouns but decline like feminine nouns with endings -а, -я.
• Male names: Дима, Никита are masculine in gender, but decline like feminine nouns.
• Several nouns that end in -мя are neuter (имя — name, время — time), do not decline like feminine nouns.

3. Number
1. Masculine nouns in the plural have the endings -ы, or -и (after к, г, x, ш, ж, ч, щ or instead of ь): стол - столы, банк - банки.
2. Feminine nouns in the plural have the endings -ы or -и (after к, г, x, ш, ж, щ, ч or instead of ь, я): лампа - лампы, виза - визы, идея - идеи.
3. Neuter in the plural have the ending -a for nouns that end in -o in the singular: вино - вина, кресло -кресла. If neuter noun has the ending -e, then the plural will end in -я: поле - поля, море - моря.
4. Several masculine nouns that end in a consonant have the plural ending -ья: лист - листья, брат - братья.
5. Some nouns are used in plural only: джинсы - jeans, духи - perfume, брюки - trousers.
6. Some nouns are used in singular only: мясо – meat, пальто - coat.

4. Russian Cases Meaning and usage of the cases in Russian.

Nominative case requires questions "Who? What?" and is used:
1) to name an object:
Это собака.This is a dog.
2) to indicate a subject of an action.
Собака спит.The dog is sleeping.

Genitive case requires questions "Whose? Of what?" is used to express:
1) possession (with nouns) – an equivalent of preposition ‘of’
Автомобиль друга. A car of my friend
2) absence of something (with negation).
У него нет билета. He has no ticket.
3) part of a whole
Кусок торта - piece of cake
4)quantity
with numerals 2, 3, 4 genitive sin¬gular is used.
две минуты - two minutes
with numerals 5, 6 and more genitive plu¬ral is used.
пять минут - five minutes
6) dates - When? (with ordinal num¬bers)
шестого декабря - the sixth of December
7) to show approximate time and place (with prepositions у, до, из, с, от, около, напротив, недалеко от, после, с... до...). When? Where?
у дома - by the house
из магазина - from the shop
около парка - nearby the park
до почты – to the postoffice
недалеко от ресторана – not far from the restaurant
напротив банка - opposite the банка
после завтрака - after breakfast
до вечера - until evening
с утра до вечера - from morning till evening
с семи до восьми часов - from 7 till 8 o'clock
8) absence (with the preposition без)
кофе без молока - coffee without milk
лететь без багажа. – to fly without luggage.

Dative case is used:
1) to indicate an object of an action
(with a list of verbs, including дать, сказать, позвонить)
Позвони другу. - Call your friend.
Скажи брату. - Tell your brother.
Дай ребенку. - Give it to the kid.
2) to show the aim of motion (with verbs of motion + к, по). Where to?
Они идут к врачу. – They are going to the doctor.
Мы едем по центру. – We are driving in the centre.

Accusative case is used:
1) to show the object of an action. Whom? What?
Я читаю книгу. - I am reading a book.
Я покупаю рыбу. – I am buying fish.
2) to show the point of destination (with prepositions в and на + verbs of motion). Where?
идти в гостиницу - to go to hotel
Я хожу на работу каждый день. - I am going to work everyday.
3) to show the time of an action (with preposition через). When?
через неделю - in a week

Instrumental case is used:
1) to express the instrument or agent of an action. By whom? With what?
писать карадашом. — to write by a pencil.
Документ подписан менеджером. — The document is signed by the manager.
2) with the preposition с = with
чай с сахаром — tea with sugar
работать с другом. — to work with a friend.
3) to show the approximate place of an action (with prepositions под, над, перед, рядом с)
перед офисом — in front of the office
рядом с дверью — next to the door
под лампой — under the lamp
над картиной – above the painting
4) to express a period of time (of day утром — in the morning or year). When?
днём — during the day
вечером — in the evening
ночью — at night
летом — in the summer
зимой — in the winter
весной — in the spring
осенью — in the fall

Prepositional case is used:
1) to express the place (position) of an object (with prepositions of position в, на). Where?
Деньги в банке. – Money is in the bank.
Кафе в парке. - A café is in the park.
2) to express time (with prepositions в, на). When?
Экзамен будет в июне. - The exam will be in June.
Отпуск будет летом. - My holidays will be in summer.
3) to introduce a topic (of thought, conversation, etc.) (with the preposition o). About whom? About what?
Я посмотрел фильм о писателе. — I watched a film about a writer.
рассказать о фильме — to tell about a film