Russian Prepositions & Their Cases
Russian learning path · Unit 2 of 6
Everyday Life
Lesson 17 of 63: Where Things Happen · A1
A Russian preposition is never alone: each one demands a case from the noun that follows. Fight this and every sentence breaks; embrace it — learn preposition + case as one package — and endings start taking care of themselves.
Prepositions Come With a Case
Compare:
Я живу в Москве.
I live in Moscow.
Note: в + prepositional case (location): Москва → Москве.
Я еду в Москву.
I'm going to Moscow.
Note: Same в, but + accusative (motion): Москва → Москву.
Same preposition, different case, different meaning. This is why you learn the pair, not the preposition alone.
в and на: Location vs Motion
The two most common prepositions both play the location/motion game:
| Question | Case | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Где? (where at?) | prepositional | Я в школе. — I'm at school. |
| Куда? (where to?) | accusative | Я иду в школу. — I'm going to school. |
| Где? (where at?) | prepositional | Она на работе. — She's at work. |
| Куда? (where to?) | accusative | Она идёт на работу. — She's going to work. |
- Question
- Где? (where at?)
- Case
- prepositional
- Example
- Я в школе. — I'm at school.
- Question
- Куда? (where to?)
- Case
- accusative
- Example
- Я иду в школу. — I'm going to school.
- Question
- Где? (where at?)
- Case
- prepositional
- Example
- Она на работе. — She's at work.
- Question
- Куда? (where to?)
- Case
- accusative
- Example
- Она идёт на работу. — She's going to work.
в = in/into (enclosed spaces); на = on/at (surfaces, events, open spaces). Some nouns conventionally take на — работа, почта, концерт, рынок, урок — learn them as set phrases.
The Genitive Crew
A whole gang of prepositions takes the genitive. The big four:
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| у | by / at someone's place; possession | у брата — at my brother's / my brother has |
| из | from / out of | из России — from Russia |
| без | without | без сахара — without sugar |
| для | for | для мамы — for mom |
- Preposition
- у
- Meaning
- by / at someone's place; possession
- Example
- у брата — at my brother's / my brother has
- Preposition
- из
- Meaning
- from / out of
- Example
- из России — from Russia
- Preposition
- без
- Meaning
- without
- Example
- без сахара — without sugar
- Preposition
- для
- Meaning
- for
- Example
- для мамы — for mom
Кофе без молока, пожалуйста.
Coffee without milk, please.
Note: без + genitive: молоко → молока. Instantly useful.
Кофе с молоком?
Coffee with milk?
Нет, без молока. И без сахара.
No, without milk. And without sugar.
Чёрный кофе для вас!
Black coffee for you!
Я из Германии. А вы откуда?
I'm from Germany. And where are you from?
Note: из + genitive: Германия → Германии. Откуда = where from.
к, с, о: One Each
| Preposition | Case | Example |
|---|---|---|
| к — to/towards (a person) | dative | Я иду к врачу. — I'm going to the doctor. |
| с — (together) with | instrumental | чай с лимоном — tea with lemon |
| о — about | prepositional | Мы говорим о фильме. — We're talking about the movie. |
- Preposition
- к — to/towards (a person)
- Case
- dative
- Example
- Я иду к врачу. — I'm going to the doctor.
- Preposition
- с — (together) with
- Case
- instrumental
- Example
- чай с лимоном — tea with lemon
- Preposition
- о — about
- Case
- prepositional
- Example
- Мы говорим о фильме. — We're talking about the movie.
Я пью кофе с молоком и говорю с другом о работе.
I'm drinking coffee with milk and talking with a friend about work.
Note: Three preposition+case packages in one natural sentence: с + instr., с + instr., о + prep.
The Cheat Sheet
| Case | Prepositions | Memory hook |
|---|---|---|
| Accusative | в, на (motion) | going somewhere |
| Prepositional | в, на (location), о | being somewhere, talking about |
| Genitive | у, из, без, для, от, до | origin, absence, possession |
| Dative | к, по | towards someone |
| Instrumental | с, за, под, над | together with |
- Case
- Accusative
- Prepositions
- в, на (motion)
- Memory hook
- going somewhere
- Case
- Prepositional
- Prepositions
- в, на (location), о
- Memory hook
- being somewhere, talking about
- Case
- Genitive
- Prepositions
- у, из, без, для, от, до
- Memory hook
- origin, absence, possession
- Case
- Dative
- Prepositions
- к, по
- Memory hook
- towards someone
- Case
- Instrumental
- Prepositions
- с, за, под, над
- Memory hook
- together with
Common Mistakes
- Picking the case by feel. The preposition decides, always. Learn в школу / в школе as two flashcards.
- Using в with работа. It's на работе / на работу — the на-nouns are a fixed list.
- Saying с when nothing accompanies. "I write with a pen" uses bare instrumental, no с: Я пишу ручкой. С is for company: с другом.
- Confusing из and с for "from". From a в-place use из (из школы); from a на-place use с (с работы). Mirror logic.
What You Can Do Now
You can place yourself in the world and move through it: Я на работе. Я иду в кафе с другом. Это подарок для мамы. Combined with the cases lesson, the ending system is now fully in your hands.