| Язык больного был белый. | The patient's tongue was white. |
| Ну-ка, мальчик, покажи мне свой язык! | Come on, little boy, show me your tongue! |
NB When the word язык functions as a subject and does not have a descriptive modifier, the construction язык у + Genitive is often preferred to (a) and (b), above: | |
| Язык у больного был белый. | The patient's tongue was white. |