Instrumental of State and Disguise
In Russian, when a noun or adjective describes a temporary state, a role, or a disguise, it often takes the Instrumental case. This is especially common with verbs that describe pretending, turning out to be, or remaining in a certain condition.
Pretending to Be
To say that someone is pretending to be something they are not, use the verb притворяться (imperfective) or притвориться (perfective). The fake role or emotion that follows must be in the Instrumental case.
| She often pretends to be a victim, however I do not believe her. | Она часто притворяется жертвой, однако я ей не верю. |
| The enemy often pretends to be an ally. | Враг часто притворяется союзником. |
Turning Out to Be
When a disguise falls apart or a hidden truth is revealed, use the verb оказываться (imperfective) or оказаться (perfective) to say someone "turned out to be" a certain way. This verb also demands the Instrumental case for the noun or adjective that follows.
| This fake ally turned out to be a spy. | Этот фальшивый союзник оказался шпионом. |
| The traitor turned out to be a famous actor. | Предатель оказался известным актёром. |
Notice in the following example how both the revealed reality and the fake disguise are expressed using the Instrumental case:
| Our ally turned out to be a traitor, but he pretended to be indifferent. | Наш союзник оказался предателем, но притворился равнодушным. |
Remaining in a State
Finally, to describe someone or something remaining in a certain condition or role, use the verb оставаться (imperfective) or остаться (perfective). Just like the previous verbs, the ongoing state is expressed with the Instrumental case.
| Thanks to the new plan, the enemy remained indifferent. | Благодаря новому плану враг остался равнодушным. |
| I don't want to remain an indifferent witness. | Я не хочу оставаться равнодушным свидетелем. |