(no subject)

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

Which is correct:

Жду твой ответ.

or

Жду твоего ответа.

I was under the impression the verb ждать (to wait) was used with accusative, but I'm noticing it is often, and maybe always, used with genitive to mean "waiting for something".

Comments

[ex-roumor.livejournal.com]

both are correct

[ksana.livejournal.com]

but жду твоего ответа sounds more natural =)

[spiritrc.livejournal.com]

Wrong. Only "жду твоего ответа" is correct because one can't "ждать что-то", it's only possible to "ждать чего-то". Similar thing with the incorrect name of the TV show called "Что хочет женщина?". "Женщина" can't want "что", she can only want "чего", but nowadays people working with mass-media are so illiterate that they don't care.

[ex-roumor.livejournal.com]

i live in moscow and people say both ways.

write these 100 times, spiritrc, and you'll reach dzen of russian language:
давайте выпьем сладкий чай с лимоном не вынимая ложки и успокоимся.
давайте выпьем сладкого чаю с лимоном и вынем ложку и успокоимся.
давайте выпьем сладкого чая с лимоном и будем щуриться правым глазом изза ложки и успокоимся.

[besisland.livejournal.com]

“Выпьем чая” is incorrect. A partitive case should be used: “выпьем чаю”.

[besisland.livejournal.com]

Wrong. One can't “ждать чего-то”, it's only possible to “ждать кого-то/что-то”. An accusative case (винительный падеж) must be used.

But you should also consider many inanimate nouns becoming animated in the accusative case.

[oryx_and_crake]

"ждать чего-то" is a perfectly good construction

Consider the proverb: "жду ответа, как соловей лета" (not "жду ответ"!)

[besisland.livejournal.com]

Let me repeat: but you should also consider many inanimate nouns becoming animated in the accusative case.

[oryx_and_crake]

Does not make sense to me.

[besisland.livejournal.com]

“Купить автомобиль”. The accusative case is used, ok? Купить кого-то/что-то.

But: “купить книгу”. “Книга” behaves like an animated noun in the accusative case.

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

"Avtomobil'" does not change because feminine nouns *ending in soft sign* do not change in the accusative. Kniga becomes knigu because this is just the standard ending for feminine nouns in the accusative ending in a. I don't think this has anything to do with a noun becoming "animated."

[besisland.livejournal.com]

Animated nouns answer to the question “кого?” in the accusative. Inanimate nouns answer to the question “что?”.

The form of the noun “книга”, that answers to the question “что?”, would be “книга”. So if “книга” remained the inanimated noun in the accusative case, one would “купить книга”.

But we don't say “купить книга”, we say “купить книгу”. This is the form that answers to the question “кого?” – just exactly like animated nouns behave in the accusative.

And “автомобиль” is not feminine, it's masculine.

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

***The form of the noun “книга”, that answers to the question “что?”, would be “книга”. So if “книга” remained the inanimated noun in the accusative case, one would “купить книга”.But we don't say “купить книга”, we say “купить книгу”. This is the form that answers to the question “кого?” – just exactly like animated nouns behave in the accusative.
***

"Что" is a question word for the nominative case as well as the accusative case. "Книга" is the nominative form, "книгу" is the accusative form. I don't think this inanimate noun becomes animate or anything like that. Anyone else care to weigh in on this?


**And “автомобиль” is not feminine, it's masculine.**
You're certainly right about this.

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

Are there any differences? Different connotations or one is more conversational?

[alexboogie.livejournal.com]

this is "Творительный падеж" construction, it has different forms in case they are applied for peoples (animals) or things
waiting for whom ? жду твоего мужа
waiting for what ? жду твой ответ
so, "Жду твой ответ" is correct, but in colloquial language both are used

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

Isn't it actually a винительный падеж construction?

So the use of родительный падеж here is just colloquial?

[alexboogie.livejournal.com]

родительный падеж has questions кого ? чего ?
у меня нет моего мужа
у меня нет моего ответа
both for peoples and things are identical
you are right - this is винительный падеж, кого ? что ?
творительный - кем ? чем ?

[famulan.livejournal.com]

this is "Творительный падеж" construction
It's Родительный падеж (genitive case)

[oryx_and_crake]

That's wrong. Instrumental case (творительный падеж) answers to "кем, чем?". Therefore it would be твоим мужем, твоим ответом. Instrumental case has nothing to do with the discussed construction.

[oryx_and_crake]

I don't like the first one. I don't know any rule directly forbidding it but still it looks unnatural to me.

[ksana.livejournal.com]

exactly. and as its Genitive case - thet the only correct variant is жду твоего ответа.
=)

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

Do others agree that this is a rule-- only genitive should be used? If so, I'll mark it down that way in my brain.

[ksana.livejournal.com]

the person up there is saying something different. but its not Винительный падеж.
it is Родительный падеж.
Жду кого? чего?
Жду бабушку из магазина. Жду молока.

I dnt remember the rule abt using Genitive Case with Ждать. But it should be -)

[zhp.livejournal.com]

бабушку is in the accusative. the genetive would be нет (кого?) бабушки.

[ksana.livejournal.com]

oopse, sorry, i was wrong.

[wire-shock.livejournal.com]

It's easy to mistake the accusative of animate nouns for the genitive;
on the other hand, one might mistake the accusative of inanimate nouns for the nominative...there is justice!

[zhp.livejournal.com]

I actually never thought about it before, but it looks like with animate objects you use the accusative, and with inanimate objects you use the genetive: Я жду Васю; я жду твоих объяснений.

[belaja-belka.livejournal.com]

Second seems more natural to me.
First construction is more common for transport - "Я жду поезд", или "Я жду автобус".

[giantantattack.livejournal.com]

I recall reading somewhere that with ждать, the accusative is used for concrete, real-world objects, but the genitive for abstract concepts. I would assume this is why people more often say "жду твоего ответа", even though "жду твой ответ" is perfectly grammatical.

[marta-mb.livejournal.com]

I think it has to do with definiteness / indefiniteness, as far as can remember.
Жду твой ответ. implies an indefinite reply.
Жду твоего ответа. implies some definite (understood from the context) reply.
I wonder if it's right.

[yms.livejournal.com]

Vice versa, actually. (http://community.livejournal.com/learn_russian/646003.html?thread=9933683#t9933683)

[marta-mb.livejournal.com]

Ah, now I see. Thanks so much!

[wire-shock.livejournal.com]

The genitive is fairly often used with ждать if the noun is inanimate. The accusative is correct but not always used in this case. However, in the case of animate nouns you only use the accusative with ждать.

[yms.livejournal.com]

Rosenthal reads (http://www.evartist.narod.ru/text1/66.htm):

Различие между формами винительного и родительного падежа может заключаться в том, что первый указывает на определенный предмет, а второй – на предмет неопределенный. Ср.:

жду поезд Петербург – Москва (определенный, прибывающий в такое-то время по расписанию) – жду поезда (одного из поездов); чаще существительные конкретные при глаголе ждать и других подобных употребляются в форме винительного падежа, а существительные отвлеченные – в форме родительного падежа: жду почту, жду свою сестру – жду случая, меду решения вопроса; одушевленные существительные употребляются в винительном падеже: ждать мать, Ольгу Ивановну, вариант с родительным падежом является устарелым. ... Сидел и девы ждал прекрасной (Пушкин);

(I can translate it if you want.)