Для зарядки телефона я купил новый кабель.

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Breakdown of Для зарядки телефона я купил новый кабель.

• купить: to buy
• телефон: the phone
• новый: new

Questions & Answers about Для зарядки телефона я купил новый кабель.

Why is для followed by зарядки in the genitive case, rather than some other case?

The preposition для always governs the genitive case in Russian. Here зарядка (“charging”) is a noun, so its genitive singular form is зарядки. This construction literally means “for the charging.”

Is зарядки a verb form (a gerund) or a noun here?

It’s a noun. Russian doesn’t have an English-style gerund. Зарядка is a feminine noun meaning “the act of charging” or simply “charging.” We turn it into genitive (зарядки) to work with для.

Why is телефона also in the genitive case?

We’re saying “charging of the phone.” In Russian, the thing being charged is another noun in genitive. So телефон → genitive singular телефона.

Could I use an infinitive construction instead of для зарядки телефона?

Yes. You can say
• Чтобы зарядить телефон, я купил новый кабель.
Both express purpose, but чтобы + infinitive is more verb-focused, while для + noun is more nominal and sometimes feels more formal or concise.

Why does новый кабель stay in the nominative form even though it’s the object of ?