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Browse: Home / People and Language

Is there a word for “by” in Russian language?

Question by Arton Clemens: Is there a word for “by” in Russian?
As in: The Bronze Horseman was written BY Pushkin.

Answers and Views:

Answer by John
or

Read all the answers in the comments.

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Comments ( 5 )

  1. INNA says

    Пушкиным – Pushkinym – literally meaning "by Pushkin" for all the reasons stated and explained above by Wave2012 and Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    Reply
  2. Kris says

    Nyet.

    Reply
  3. Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ says

    As the other answerer have said, in this context no word for 'by' is used, or needed. Instead the Instrumental case is used.

    Russian has 6 cases, Instrumental being 1 of them, and cases changes the ends of words.

    Feminine nouns end in a [А] , ya [Я] or a soft sign ь.
    In the Instrumental case the endings of feminine nouns changes to oy (ой) ey (ей) or yoy (ёй), feminine nouns that end with a ь changes to yu (ью).

    Masculine nouns end in consonants, or the soft sign ь,
    Neuter nouns end in o, or e.
    In the Instrumental case, the endings of Masculine and Neuter nouns changes to om ом, ем, ём.

    Masculine/Neuter Adjectives and "Nounjectives" in the instrumental take the ending "ым" or "им", so Пушкин -> Пушкиным (Pushkinym)

    For example, the word ложка (lozhka) is a feminine noun, and in the instrumental case the noun changes to ложкой (lozhkoy).

    So in English you say "You eat soup WITH a spoon"
    In Russian that would translate to: "Ты (you) ешь (eat) суп (soup) ложкой (spoon in Instrumental case) "
    Notice there is no word for "with" …

    Other examples,
    I wrote a letter to him WITH blood.
    Я (I) написала (wrote) письмо (letter) ему (to him) кровью (with blood)

    No "WITH" but the Feminine noun for 'blood' кровь (krov) changes to кровью to mean "with blood".

    I am drawing a picture with chalk.
    Я (I) рисую (drawing) картину (picture) мелом. (with chalk)

    Masculine noun for chalk мел (mel) changes to мелом (melom) to mean "with chalk).

    so yeah I hope you understood most of whatever I was writing even though it looks complicated, and that it was helpful in someway…. (:
    —
    yeah the other answerer is right, but I did mention the rule for Masculine 'nounjectives' like "Pushkin"
    Masculine/Neuter in the instrumental take the ending "ым" or "им", Пушкин -> Пушкиным
    Feminine instrumental adjectives and nounjectives take the ending "ой" or "ей"

    Reply
  4. Ruska princeza says

    The upper answer is almost correct, but in this case it is written Пушкином.

    Reply
  5. Wave2012 says

    For this situation – no.
    Instead of using "by" in Russian language ending of "Pushkin" will change:
    from Пушкин to Пушкиным (Pushkinym).

    Медный всадник был написан Пушкиным.

    —-

    No, it should be: написан кем? Пушкиным? – Instrumental case

    "Пушкином" – This ending is not used for this surname in any case:
    Nominative – Пушкин
    Genitive – Пушкина
    Dative – Пушкину
    Accusative – Пушкина
    Instrumental – Пушкиным
    Prepositional – Пушкине

    ——
    Russian surname is actually not noun, it is possessive adjective. That is why rule for endings of nouns in instrumental case cannot be used here.
    —–
    We just edited our answers at the same time 🙂

    Reply

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