The thing a verb acts on goes into the accusative. Feminine nouns swap -а for -у and -я for -ю: вода becomes воду. Inanimate masculine and neuter nouns do not change at all. Animate masculine nouns look like the genitive instead.
Examples
- Я завтракаю в семь часов.
- I have breakfast at seven o'clock.
- По дороге на работу я пью кофе.
- On the way to work I drink coffee.
- В двенадцать я делаю перерыв.
- At twelve I take a break.
The mistake to avoid
Neuter and inanimate masculine nouns look identical to the dictionary form.
Where this fits in
Daily routines & habits, Russian A2: Talk about what you do every day, at what time, and how often. Reflexive verbs with -ся and frequency adverbs.