Lines a customer and waiter actually say in a restaurant. Every word colored and explained: cases for nouns, modifiers, pronouns, and numerals, plus conjugation for verbs and agreement for short-form adjectives, each tagged with its dictionary form and English gloss.
NOMSubject. Dictionary form.
ACCDirect object. Motion toward with в / на.
GENAfter до от из у без для о́коло напро́тив вдоль с. Also: нет, numbers.
DATAfter к, по. Also: ну́жен, звони́ть, помо́чь.
INSTRMeans / с (with). Static position with над за под пе́ред.
PREPOnly with prepositions. в / на = location. о = topic.
VERBConjugated by person/number/tense. Case-colored pronouns show which person.
SHORTShort-form adjective or participle predicate. Agrees in gender/number, not case.
0.90x
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. · "restaurant"в for motion (welcoming someone INTO the place) takes accusative. Inanimate masculine, unchanged. Добро́ пожа́ловать itself is a fixed greeting formula, not a productive verb form.
02
Меню́ на столе́.
The menu is on the table.
Меню́
NOMINATIVE
меню́ · neut. (indecl.) · "menu"Subject. меню́ is an indeclinable neuter loanword, so it never changes shape.
хоте́ть · impf. · "to want"1st person plural present, subject мы dropped. хоте́ть is irregular: хочу́, хо́чешь, хо́чет in the singular but хоти́м, хоти́те, хотя́т in the plural.
окна́
GENITIVE
окно́ · neut. · "window"у meaning "by / near" takes genitive. окно́ becomes окна́. сесть (to sit down) is a plain dependent infinitive after хоти́м, not boxed separately.
04
Проходи́те к столу́.
Come through to the table.
Проходи́те
VERB
проходи́ть · impf. · "to come through"2nd person plural/formal imperative. проходи́ть becomes проходи́те.
столу́
DATIVE
стол · masc. · "table"к (toward) takes dative. стол becomes столу́. Same noun as line 02, now in a different case.
05
Да́йте наммину́ту.
Give us a minute.
Да́йте
VERB
дать · pf. · "to give"2nd person plural/formal imperative, perfective. дать becomes да́йте.
нам
DATIVE
мы · pers. · "us"Recipient of "give," dative of мы.
ждать · impf. · "to wait"1st person singular present, subject я dropped. ждать becomes жду.
подру́гу
ACCUSATIVE
подру́га · fem. · "friend"ждать takes accusative for a specific person. подру́га is animate feminine, -а becomes -у.
07
Выгото́вы сде́лать зака́з?
Are you ready to order?
Вы
NOMINATIVE
вы · pers. · "you"Subject pronoun, nominative, formal/plural "you."
гото́вы
SHORT FORM
гото́вый · adj. · "ready"Short-form adjective, plural to agree with Вы. сде́лать (to make/do) is a plain dependent infinitive after гото́вы, not boxed separately.
свобо́дный · adj. · "free"Short-form adjective, masculine singular to agree with Сто́лик.
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.
Я
NOMINATIVE
я · pers. · "I"Subject pronoun, nominative.
бу́ду
VERB
быть · impf. · "to be"1st person singular future of быть, idiomatically used when ordering to mean "I'll have."
суп
ACCUSATIVE
суп · masc. · "soup"In ordering, "I'll have X" makes X the direct object, accusative. Inanimate masculine, unchanged.
рекомендова́ть · impf. · "to recommend"1st person singular present, subject я dropped. -ова- verbs drop -ова- before the personal endings: рекоменду́ю.
на́шу
ACCUSATIVE
наш · poss. · "our"Modifies ку́рицу, agrees with it in accusative feminine. Dictionary form наш becomes на́шу.
ку́рицу
ACCUSATIVE
ку́рица · fem. · "chicken"Direct object of "recommend." Feminine -а becomes -у, and на́шу agrees in the accusative.
13
Для меня́ без лу́ка.
For me, without onion.
меня́
GENITIVE
я · pers. · "me"для (for) takes genitive, genitive of я.
взять · pf. · "to take"1st person plural future, perfective, subject мы dropped. взять becomes возьмём.
две
ACCUSATIVE
два / две · num. · "two"Modifies пи́ццы as the direct object; inanimate, so accusative matches nominative: две is the feminine form of два. Triggers genitive singular on the noun it counts.
пи́ццы
GENITIVE
пи́цца · fem. · "pizza"Numbers 2, 3, 4 take the genitive singular. пи́цца becomes пи́ццы.
17
Да́йте по́рциюри́са.
A portion of rice, please.
Да́йте
VERB
дать · pf. · "to give"2nd person plural/formal imperative, perfective. дать becomes да́йте.
рис · masc. · "rice"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?
вы
NOMINATIVE
вы · pers. · "you"Subject pronoun, nominative, formal/plural "you."
э́тот · dem. · "this"Modifies блю́де, agrees with it in prepositional neuter. Dictionary form э́тот becomes э́том.
блю́де
PREPOSITIONAL
блю́до · neut. · "dish"в for location (what is inside) takes prepositional. блю́до becomes блю́де, and э́том agrees.
21
У вас есть вегетариа́нскиеблю́да?
Do you have vegetarian dishes?
вас
GENITIVE
вы · pers. · "you"Possessor after у ("do you have"), genitive of вы.
вегетариа́нские
NOMINATIVE
вегетариа́нский · adj. · "vegetarian"Modifies блю́да, agrees with it in nominative plural. Dictionary form вегетариа́нский becomes вегетариа́нские.
блю́да
NOMINATIVE
блю́до · neut. · "dish"The thing that exists is the subject, nominative plural. блю́до becomes блю́да. есть ("there is") is invariant here and doesn't conjugate for person.
22
У нас нет ры́бы сего́дня.
We have no fish today.
нас
GENITIVE
мы · pers. · "us"Possessor after у, genitive of мы.
ры́бы
GENITIVE
ры́ба · fem. · "fish"нет (none) forces the absent thing into genitive. ры́ба becomes ры́бы.
сала́т · masc. · "salad"Subject of "costs." The thing being priced stays nominative, and э́тот agrees.
24
Э́то фи́рменноеблю́доше́фа.
This is the chef's signature dish.
фи́рменное
NOMINATIVE
фи́рменный · adj. · "signature"Modifies блю́до, agrees with it in nominative neuter. Dictionary form фи́рменный becomes фи́рменное.
блю́до
NOMINATIVE
блю́до · neut. · "dish"Predicate of "this is," nominative.
ше́фа
GENITIVE
шеф · masc. · "chef"Possession, the dish OF the chef, genitive. шеф becomes ше́фа.
25
Я не ем мя́са.
I don't eat meat.
Я
NOMINATIVE
я · pers. · "I"Subject pronoun, nominative.
ем
VERB
есть · impf. · "to eat"1st person singular present, subject я dropped. есть (to eat) is irregular: ем, ешь, ест, еди́м, еди́те, едя́т.
мя́са
GENITIVE
мя́со · neut. · "meat"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?
бу́дете
VERB
быть · impf. · "to be"Future auxiliary, 2nd person plural/formal, paired with the infinitive пить ("to drink"). бу́дете пить = "you will drink."
27
Мнеча́шкуко́фе.
A cup of coffee for me.
Мне
DATIVE
я · pers. · "me"The one ordering, dative of я, in this elliptical ordering phrase (verb "I'll have" dropped).
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.
Да́йте
VERB
дать · pf. · "to give"2nd person plural/formal imperative, perfective. дать becomes да́йте.
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. · "bill"Standing alone as the named thing, it stays in the dictionary (nominative) form.
44
Мо́жно оплати́ть ка́ртой?
Can I pay by card?
оплати́ть
VERB
оплати́ть · pf. · "to pay"Infinitive complement of the impersonal мо́жно ("may one..."). мо́жно itself never conjugates.
ка́ртой
INSTRUMENTAL
ка́рта · fem. · "card"The means, HOW you pay, takes the bare instrumental. ка́рта becomes ка́ртой.
45
Я заплачу́ за обе́д.
I'll pay for the meal.
Я
NOMINATIVE
я · pers. · "I"Subject pronoun, nominative.
заплачу́
VERB
заплати́ть · pf. · "to pay"1st person singular future, perfective. заплати́ть becomes заплачу́ (т softens to ч).
обе́д
ACCUSATIVE
обе́д · masc. · "lunch"за meaning "in exchange for" takes accusative. Inanimate masculine, unchanged.
46
С васты́сячарубле́й.
That'll be a thousand rubles.
вас
GENITIVE
вы · pers. · "you"с (from) takes genitive here: "from you [is owed]." Formal/plural вы.
ты́сяча
NOMINATIVE
ты́сяча · num. · "thousand"Nominative, the amount owed; itself a feminine noun, so it triggers genitive plural on рубле́й like other large numbers.