What makes up a Russian noun is like a candle flame...

[Alex]

"Udut, Kenneth" wrote:

> I'm starting to see why certain parts of
> Russian grammar have been giving me so much
> mental trouble.
>
> For example, a Russian noun.
>
> A Russian noun has a 'case' (Nom, Acc, Gen, Dat, Instrum, Prep)
> A Russian noun has a 'gender' (Masc, Fem, Neut)
> A Russian noun has a 'number' (Sing, Plur)
>
> [there is more than this, of course, but I'm still at basic levels]
......................

Dear Kenneth!

A five-year old Russian child has no idea about such things. And
nevertheless it NEVER confuses gender, cases or prepositions.
Except of some nasty mistakes borrowed from adults. This is because
it never learns grammar BEFORE listening and then speaking and then,
perhaps, reading!
So if you want to be as close as possible to native speaking do not try
to learn grammar before LISTENING, SPEAKING and then reading. Otherwise
you are  going to learn Russian as long as I was learning English
(over 40 years!) only to realize in the end that you were wrong
from the very beginning!

Regards

Alex

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