When you talk about people or objects you see, meet, or buy in Russian, direct objects take the accusative case. In the singular, only masculine animate nouns change to match the genitive. In the plural, Russian extends this animacy rule across all genders: living beings match their genitive plural, while inanimate objects match their nominative plural.

For inanimate objects, the accusative plural is identical to the nominative plural, regardless of gender. Masculine and neuter inanimate nouns do not change their form when they are direct objects. For example, 'Я покупаю билеты' means 'I am buying tickets'.

Feminine inanimate nouns also match their nominative plural in the accusative. Unlike in the singular, where feminine direct objects take a different ending, in the plural inanimate objects simply keep their standard nominative plural ending. For example, 'Я читаю книги' means 'I am reading books'.