Every Russian noun has a gender
Russian nouns are grouped as masculine, feminine, or neuter. Gender is a property of the noun itself; it is not always about a person’s real-world identity. For now, we are learning how to recognize the noun’s starting form.
Look at the nominative ending
The nominative is the form used when we name a noun. These endings are the first clues:
| Gender | Common endings | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | consonant · -й · -ь | сто́л masculine noun nominative singular: table |
| Feminine | -а · -я · -ь | ма́ма feminine noun nominative singular: mother |
| Neuter | -о · -е · -мя | окно́ neuter noun nominative singular: window |
Practice this in MemRussian
MemRussian teaches these endings through real sentences. Choose the words you want to learn, then practice recognizing and using each form in context.
One useful warning
The ending -ь can belong to either masculine or feminine nouns. Treat the gender as part of the vocabulary you learn instead of trying to guess it from that ending alone.