Questions & Answers about Анна работает здесь как стажёр.
Why is стажёр in the Nominative case here after как?
When using как to mean "in the capacity of" or "as", the noun that follows takes the same case as the noun it refers to. Since it refers to Анна, who is the subject and in the Nominative case, стажёр is also in the Nominative.
How would I say this using the phrase в качестве?
You would say Анна работает здесь в качестве стажёра. The phrase в качестве (in the capacity of) always requires the Genitive case, so стажёр changes to стажёра.
Is there a difference in meaning between как стажёр and в качестве стажёра in this context?
The meaning is exactly the same. However, в качестве стажёра sounds slightly more formal or official, like something you might read in an employment contract or a formal introduction, whereas как стажёр is very common and natural in everyday speech.
What if the sentence was "They hired Anna as an intern"? Would стажёр still be in the Nominative?
No, it would change to match Anna's case! In "They hired Anna" (Они наняли Анну), Анну is the direct object and takes the Accusative case. Because the intern refers to her, the noun must also be in the Accusative case: как стажёра.