50 Restaurant Sentences: Why Each Case

Arriving and being seated

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

01

Добро́ пожа́ловать в рестора́н!

Welcome to the restaurant!

рестора́н

ACCUSATIVE

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

02

Меню́ на столе́.

The menu is on the table.

Меню́

NOMINATIVE

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

столе́

PREPOSITIONAL

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

03

Мы хоти́м сесть у окна́.

We'd like to sit by the window.

окна́

GENITIVE

окно́ · neut. у meaning "by / near" takes genitive. окно́ becomes окна́.

04

Проходи́те к столу́.

Come through to the table.

столу́

DATIVE

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

05

Да́йте нам мину́ту.

Give us a minute.

мину́ту

ACCUSATIVE

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

06

Я жду подру́гу.

I'm waiting for a friend.

подру́гу

ACCUSATIVE

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

07

Вы гото́вы сде́лать зака́з?

Are you ready to order?

зака́з

ACCUSATIVE

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

08

Сто́лик у окна́ свобо́ден.

The table by the window is free.

Сто́лик

NOMINATIVE

сто́лик · masc. Subject. свобо́ден is a short-form predicate.

окна́

GENITIVE

окно́ · neut. у (by) takes genitive again. окно́ becomes окна́.

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 бу́ду 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

Принеси́те мне сала́т.

Bring me a salad.

сала́т

ACCUSATIVE

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

11

Я хочу́ попро́бовать ры́бу.

I want to try the fish.

ры́бу

ACCUSATIVE

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

12

Рекоменду́ю на́шу ку́рицу.

I recommend our chicken.

на́шу

ACCUSATIVE

наш · poss. Modifies ку́рицу, agrees with it in accusative feminine. Dictionary form наш becomes на́шу.

ку́рицу

ACCUSATIVE

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

13

Для меня́ без лу́ка.

For me, without onion.

лу́ка

GENITIVE

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

14

Я закажу́ мя́со с карто́шкой.

I'll order meat with potatoes.

мя́со

ACCUSATIVE

мя́со · neut. Direct object. Neuter, unchanged.

карто́шкой

INSTRUMENTAL

карто́шка · fem. с (with) takes instrumental. карто́шка becomes карто́шкой.

15

Како́е блю́до вы вы́берете?

Which dish will you choose?

Како́е

ACCUSATIVE

како́й · int. Interrogative modifying блю́до, agrees with it in accusative neuter. Dictionary form како́й becomes како́е.

блю́до

ACCUSATIVE

блю́до · neut. Direct object of "choose." Neuter, unchanged, and Како́е agrees.

16

Мы возьмём две пи́ццы.

We'll take two pizzas.

пи́ццы

GENITIVE

пи́цца · fem. Numbers 2, 3, 4 take the genitive singular. пи́цца becomes пи́ццы.

17

Да́йте по́рцию ри́са.

A portion of rice, please.

по́рцию

ACCUSATIVE

по́рция · fem. Direct object. по́рция becomes по́рцию.

ри́са

GENITIVE

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

Asking about the menu

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

18

Что вы порекоменду́ете?

What do you recommend?

19

Из чего́ э́тот суп?

What is this soup made of?

20

Что в э́том блю́де?

What's in this dish?

э́том

PREPOSITIONAL

э́тот · dem. Modifies блю́де, agrees with it in prepositional neuter. Dictionary form э́тот becomes э́том.

блю́де

PREPOSITIONAL

блю́до · neut. в for location (what is inside) takes prepositional. блю́до becomes блю́де, and э́том agrees.

21

У вас есть вегетариа́нские блю́да?

Do you have vegetarian dishes?

вегетариа́нские

NOMINATIVE

вегетариа́нский · adj. Modifies блю́да, agrees with it in nominative plural. Dictionary form вегетариа́нский becomes вегетариа́нские.

блю́да

NOMINATIVE

блю́до · neut. The thing that exists is the subject, nominative plural. блю́до becomes блю́да.

22

У нас нет ры́бы сего́дня.

We have no fish today.

ры́бы

GENITIVE

ры́ба · fem. нет (none) forces the absent thing into genitive. ры́ба becomes ры́бы.

23

Ско́лько стои́т э́тот сала́т?

How much is this salad?

сала́т

NOMINATIVE

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

24

Э́то фи́рменное блю́до ше́фа.

This is the chef's signature dish.

фи́рменное

NOMINATIVE

фи́рменный · adj. Modifies блю́до, agrees with it in nominative neuter. Dictionary form фи́рменный becomes фи́рменное.

блю́до

NOMINATIVE

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

ше́фа

GENITIVE

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

25

Я не ем мя́са.

I don't eat meat.

мя́са

GENITIVE

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

Drinks

Drinks lean hard on the genitive of quantity: ча́шку ко́фе, бока́л вина́, стака́н воды́ 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 бу́дете пить?

What will you have to drink?

27

Мне ча́шку ко́фе.

A cup of coffee for me.

ча́шку

ACCUSATIVE

ча́шка · fem. Direct object. ча́шка becomes ча́шку.

ко́фе

GENITIVE

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

28

Я бу́ду бока́л вина́.

I'll have a glass of wine.

бока́л

ACCUSATIVE

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

вина́

GENITIVE

вино́ · neut. A glass OF wine, quantity genitive. вино́ becomes вина́.

29

Принеси́те воды́, пожа́луйста.

Bring some water, please.

воды́

GENITIVE

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

30

Без са́хара, пожа́луйста.

Without sugar, please.

са́хара

GENITIVE

са́хар · masc. без (without) takes genitive. са́хар becomes са́хара.

31

Я бу́ду чай с молоко́м.

I'll have tea with milk.

чай

ACCUSATIVE

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

молоко́м

INSTRUMENTAL

молоко́ · neut. с (with) takes instrumental. молоко́ becomes молоко́м.

32

Сок стои́т две́сти рубле́й.

The juice costs two hundred rubles.

Сок

NOMINATIVE

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

рубле́й

GENITIVE

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

33

Принеси́те ещё оди́н стака́н.

Bring one more glass.

стака́н

ACCUSATIVE

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

During the meal

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

34

Да́йте ви́лку, пожа́луйста.

Please give me a fork.

ви́лку

ACCUSATIVE

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

35

У меня́ нет ло́жки.

I don't have a spoon.

ло́жки

GENITIVE

ло́жка · fem. нет forces the missing thing into genitive. ло́жка becomes ло́жки.

36

Мо́жно ещё хле́ба?

Could we have more bread?

хле́ба

GENITIVE

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

37

Э́то не то, что я заказа́л.

This is not what I ordered.

38

Суп холо́дный.

The soup is cold.

Суп

NOMINATIVE

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

39

Всё в поря́дке?

Is everything okay?

поря́дке

PREPOSITIONAL

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

40

Мя́со о́чень вку́сное, спаси́бо.

The meat is very tasty, thank you.

Мя́со

NOMINATIVE

мя́со · neut. Subject, nominative. вку́сное is the predicate adjective.

41

Переда́йте 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 уже́ нае́лся.

I'm full already.

Paying and leaving

The bill brings out two instrumentals of means (оплати́ть ка́ртой) 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 Сда́чи не на́до (keep the change), both genitive.

43

Счёт, пожа́луйста.

The check, please.

Счёт

NOMINATIVE

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

44

Мо́жно оплати́ть ка́ртой?

Can I pay by card?

ка́ртой

INSTRUMENTAL

ка́рта · fem. The means, HOW you pay, takes the bare instrumental. ка́рта becomes ка́ртой.

45

Я заплачу́ за обе́д.

I'll pay for the meal.

обе́д

ACCUSATIVE

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

46

С вас ты́сяча рубле́й.

That'll be a thousand rubles.

рубле́й

GENITIVE

рубль · masc. ты́сяча (thousand) takes genitive plural. рубль becomes рубле́й.

47

Сда́чи не на́до.

Keep the change.

Сда́чи

GENITIVE

сда́ча · fem. "No change needed," a negation of quantity, takes genitive. сда́ча becomes сда́чи.

48

Оста́вь чаевы́е официа́нту.

Leave a tip for the waiter.

чаевы́е

ACCUSATIVE

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

официа́нту

DATIVE

официа́нт · masc. Recipient, dative. официа́нт becomes официа́нту.

49

Спаси́бо за у́жин.

Thanks for the dinner.

у́жин

ACCUSATIVE

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

50

Мы придём сюда́ сно́ва.

We'll come here again.