У меня есть новая работа.

I have a new job.

Breakdown of У меня есть новая работа.

• я: I
• новый: new
• работа: the job

Questions & Answers about У меня есть новая работа.

What does each word in У меня есть новая работа literally mean?

• У = “at” or “by”
• меня = “me” in the genitive case
• есть = “there is” (present-tense of “to be”)
• новая = “new” (feminine, nominative singular)
• работа = “job” (feminine, nominative singular)

Put together: “At me there is a new job,” i.e. “I have a new job.”

Why is меня in the genitive case after у, and not мне?

The preposition у always requires the genitive case to express possession or proximity. You literally say “by me” (у меня) to mean “I have.”

What is the role of the verb есть in this sentence, and can it be omitted?

• есть functions as the existential “to be” (“there is”).
• In spoken Russian you can often drop it: У меня новая работа.
• Including есть adds clarity or emphasis.
• In the negative you must replace it with нет (and switch the noun to genitive): У меня нет работы.

What case and gender are новая and работа, and why are they in the nominative?