Animate Direct Objects
When a noun is the direct object of a sentence (the person or thing receiving the action), it takes the Accusative case. For masculine nouns, Russian makes an important distinction between living things (animate) and non-living things (inanimate).
While masculine inanimate nouns do not change their form, masculine animate nouns (people and animals) take a special ending.
Nouns Ending in a Hard Consonant
For masculine animate nouns ending in a hard consonant, add -а to the end of the word. For example, клиент (client) becomes клиента, and турист (tourist) becomes туриста.
Nouns Ending in a Soft Sign or -й
If the masculine animate noun ends in a soft sign (-ь) or -й, replace it with -я. For example, писатель (writer) becomes писателя, and гость (guest) becomes гостя.
Mixing Animate and Inanimate
If you use an animate and an inanimate masculine noun in the same sentence, only the animate noun changes. The inanimate noun stays exactly the same as its dictionary form.
Actions Directed at People and Animals
You will use these endings constantly with verbs of interaction, such as knowing (знать), inviting (приглашать), or loving (любить) someone.
