50 Restaurant Sentences: Why Each Case

Arriving and being seated

The opening exchange. Notice стол appearing three ways early on: на столе (prepositional, location), к столу (dative, toward), and the diminutive столик as a plain nominative subject. Same word, three jobs, three endings.

01

Добро пожаловать в ресторан!

Welcome to the restaurant!

ресторан

ACCUSATIVE

ресторан · masc. в for motion (welcoming someone INTO the place) takes accusative. Inanimate masculine, unchanged.

02

Меню на столе.

The menu is on the table.

Меню

NOMINATIVE

меню · neut. (indecl.) Subject. меню is an indeclinable neuter loanword, so it never changes shape.

столе

PREPOSITIONAL

стол · masc. на for static location takes prepositional. стол becomes столе.

03

Мы хотим сесть у окна.

We'd like to sit by the window.

окна

GENITIVE

окно · neut. у meaning "by / near" takes genitive. окно becomes окна.

04

Проходите к столу.

Come through to the table.

столу

DATIVE

стол · masc. к (toward) takes dative. стол becomes столу. Same noun as line 02, now in a different case.

05

Дайте нам минуту.

Give us a minute.

минуту

ACCUSATIVE

минута · fem. Direct object. Feminine -а becomes -у.

06

Я жду подругу.

I'm waiting for a friend.

подругу

ACCUSATIVE

подруга · fem. ждать takes accusative for a specific person. подруга is animate feminine, -а becomes -у.

07

Вы готовы сделать заказ?

Are you ready to order?

заказ

ACCUSATIVE

заказ · masc. Direct object of "make." Inanimate masculine, unchanged.

08

Столик у окна свободен.

The table by the window is free.

Столик

NOMINATIVE

столик · masc. Subject. свободен is a short-form predicate.

окна

GENITIVE

окно · neut. у (by) takes genitive again. окно becomes окна.

Ordering food

Ordering is built on the accusative: whatever you want is the direct object of "I'll have," "bring," "order," or "try." Around it cluster the modifiers: с plus instrumental for what it comes with, без plus genitive for what to leave out, and a bare genitive for a portion OF something.

09

Я буду суп.

I'll have the soup.

суп

ACCUSATIVE

суп · masc. In ordering, "I'll have X" makes X the direct object, accusative. Inanimate masculine, unchanged.

10

Принесите мне салат.

Bring me a salad.

салат

ACCUSATIVE

салат · masc. Direct object. Inanimate masculine, unchanged.

11

Я хочу попробовать рыбу.

I want to try the fish.

рыбу

ACCUSATIVE

рыба · fem. Direct object of "try." Feminine -а becomes -у.

12

Рекомендую нашу курицу.

I recommend our chicken.

курицу

ACCUSATIVE

курица · fem. Direct object of "recommend." Feminine -а becomes -у, and нашу agrees in the accusative.

13

Для меня без лука.

For me, without onion.

лука

GENITIVE

лук · masc. без (without) takes genitive. лук becomes лука.

14

Я закажу мясо с картошкой.

I'll order meat with potatoes.

мясо

ACCUSATIVE

мясо · neut. Direct object. Neuter, unchanged.

картошкой

INSTRUMENTAL

картошка · fem. с (with) takes instrumental. картошка becomes картошкой.

15

Какое блюдо вы выберете?

Which dish will you choose?

блюдо

ACCUSATIVE

блюдо · neut. Direct object of "choose." Neuter, unchanged, and Какое agrees.

16

Мы возьмём две пиццы.

We'll take two pizzas.

пиццы

GENITIVE

пицца · fem. Numbers 2, 3, 4 take the genitive singular. пицца becomes пиццы.

17

Дайте порцию риса.

A portion of rice, please.

порцию

ACCUSATIVE

порция · fem. Direct object. порция becomes порцию.

риса

GENITIVE

рис · masc. A quantity OF something puts that something in genitive. рис becomes риса.

Asking about the menu

Questions bring out the genitive: из чего (made of what), у вас (do you have), нет рыбы (none of a thing), and the negation genitive in "I don't eat meat." The one to notice is Сколько стоит, where the priced item stays a plain nominative subject.

18

Что вы порекомендуете?

What do you recommend?

19

Из чего этот суп?

What is this soup made of?

20

Что в этом блюде?

What's in this dish?

блюде

PREPOSITIONAL

блюдо · neut. в for location (what is inside) takes prepositional. блюдо becomes блюде, and этом agrees.

21

У вас есть вегетарианские блюда?

Do you have vegetarian dishes?

блюда

NOMINATIVE

блюдо · neut. The thing that exists is the subject, nominative plural. блюдо becomes блюда.

22

У нас нет рыбы сегодня.

We have no fish today.

рыбы

GENITIVE

рыба · fem. нет (none) forces the absent thing into genitive. рыба becomes рыбы.

23

Сколько стоит этот салат?

How much is this salad?

салат

NOMINATIVE

салат · masc. Subject of "costs." The thing being priced stays nominative, and этот agrees.

24

Это фирменное блюдо шефа.

This is the chef's signature dish.

блюдо

NOMINATIVE

блюдо · neut. Predicate of "this is," nominative.

шефа

GENITIVE

шеф · masc. Possession, the dish OF the chef, genitive. шеф becomes шефа.

25

Я не ем мяса.

I don't eat meat.

мяса

GENITIVE

мясо · neut. A negated direct object often shifts from accusative to genitive. "не ем" pulls мясо to мяса.

Drinks

Drinks lean hard on the genitive of quantity: чашку кофе, бокал вина, стакан воды all mean a measure OF something, and the something goes genitive. "Bring some water" uses the same case for an unspecified amount, the partitive. с plus instrumental handles "with milk."

26

Что будете пить?

What will you have to drink?

27

Мне чашку кофе.

A cup of coffee for me.

чашку

ACCUSATIVE

чашка · fem. Direct object. чашка becomes чашку.

кофе

GENITIVE

кофе · masc. (indecl.) A cup OF coffee puts кофе in genitive, but кофе is indeclinable, so it does not change shape.

28

Я буду бокал вина.

I'll have a glass of wine.

бокал

ACCUSATIVE

бокал · masc. Direct object, the thing you'll have. Inanimate masculine, unchanged.

вина

GENITIVE

вино · neut. A glass OF wine, quantity genitive. вино becomes вина.

29

Принесите воды, пожалуйста.

Bring some water, please.

воды

GENITIVE

вода · fem. The partitive: "some water" (an unspecified amount) takes genitive. вода becomes воды.

30

Без сахара, пожалуйста.

Without sugar, please.

сахара

GENITIVE

сахар · masc. без (without) takes genitive. сахар becomes сахара.

31

Я буду чай с молоком.

I'll have tea with milk.

чай

ACCUSATIVE

чай · masc. Direct object. Inanimate masculine, unchanged.

молоком

INSTRUMENTAL

молоко · neut. с (with) takes instrumental. молоко becomes молоком.

32

Сок стоит двести рублей.

The juice costs two hundred rubles.

Сок

NOMINATIVE

сок · masc. Subject of "costs," nominative.

рублей

GENITIVE

рубль · masc. Large numbers take genitive plural. рубль becomes рублей.

33

Принесите ещё один стакан.

Bring one more glass.

стакан

ACCUSATIVE

стакан · masc. Direct object of "bring." Inanimate masculine, unchanged.

During the meal

Table requests split cleanly: дайте / передайте put the item in accusative and the person in dative, while shortages and "a bit more" pull genitive (нет ложки, ещё хлеба). Watch soft-sign feminines like соль, whose accusative looks exactly like the nominative.

34

Дайте вилку, пожалуйста.

Please give me a fork.

вилку

ACCUSATIVE

вилка · fem. Direct object of "give." Feminine -а becomes -у.

35

У меня нет ложки.

I don't have a spoon.

ложки

GENITIVE

ложка · fem. нет forces the missing thing into genitive. ложка becomes ложки.

36

Можно ещё хлеба?

Could we have more bread?

хлеба

GENITIVE

хлеб · masc. "Some more bread," an unspecified amount, is the partitive genitive. хлеб becomes хлеба.

37

Это не то, что я заказал.

This is not what I ordered.

38

Суп холодный.

The soup is cold.

Суп

NOMINATIVE

суп · masc. Subject, nominative. холодный is the predicate adjective.

39

Всё в порядке?

Is everything okay?

порядке

PREPOSITIONAL

порядок · masc. The fixed phrase в порядке (in order / fine) uses prepositional. порядок becomes порядке.

40

Мясо очень вкусное, спасибо.

The meat is very tasty, thank you.

Мясо

NOMINATIVE

мясо · neut. Subject, nominative. вкусное is the predicate adjective.

41

Передайте мне соль.

Pass me the salt.

соль

ACCUSATIVE

соль · fem. Direct object. соль is feminine ending in -ь, so the accusative matches the nominative.

42

Я уже наелся.

I'm full already.

Paying and leaving

The bill brings out two instrumentals of means (оплатить картой) and two uses of за plus accusative for "in exchange for" and "thanks for." The idioms to just memorize whole are С вас (from you) and Сдачи не надо (keep the change), both genitive.

43

Счёт, пожалуйста.

The check, please.

Счёт

NOMINATIVE

счёт · masc. Standing alone as the named thing, it stays in the dictionary (nominative) form.

44

Можно оплатить картой?

Can I pay by card?

картой

INSTRUMENTAL

карта · fem. The means, HOW you pay, takes the bare instrumental. карта becomes картой.

45

Я заплачу за обед.

I'll pay for the meal.

обед

ACCUSATIVE

обед · masc. за meaning "in exchange for" takes accusative. Inanimate masculine, unchanged.

46

С вас тысяча рублей.

That'll be a thousand rubles.

рублей

GENITIVE

рубль · masc. тысяча (thousand) takes genitive plural. рубль becomes рублей.

47

Сдачи не надо.

Keep the change.

Сдачи

GENITIVE

сдача · fem. "No change needed," a negation of quantity, takes genitive. сдача becomes сдачи.

48

Оставь чаевые официанту.

Leave a tip for the waiter.

чаевые

ACCUSATIVE

чаевые · pl. Direct object, a plural-only noun for "tip."

официанту

DATIVE

официант · masc. Recipient, dative. официант becomes официанту.

49

Спасибо за ужин.

Thanks for the dinner.

ужин

ACCUSATIVE

ужин · masc. за in "thanks for" takes accusative. Inanimate masculine, unchanged.

50

Мы придём сюда снова.

We'll come here again.