Lesson 101
Russian prepositions
In our previous lessons, when we talked about different grammatical cases en Russian, we have already covered many Russian prepositions. Today we offer you to recap: recall all these prepositions and practice them with examples.
Below is a table that contains most of the Russian prepositions sorted by case in the alphabetic order and some examples.
Pay attention, that some of the prepositions can be used with several cases having different meaning in each case.
You will also notice that some prepositions have two or three forms. For example:
– с / со,
– о / об / обо,
– из / изо, etc.
The use of one form over the other is determined by the ease of pronunciation. Usually, but not always, when a following word start with two consonants, the O is added to the preposition.
Genitive case prepositions
Родительный падеж
The Genitive case has the most prepositions that go with it.
| Preposition with translation | Examples |
|---|---|
| без without | без разреше́ния without permission |
| ввиду́ in view of | ввиду́ высо́кой за́нятости due to high occupancy |
| вдоль along | вдоль доро́ги along the road |
| вме́сто instead of | вме́сто уро́ков instead of classes |
| вне outside | вне грани́ц out of limits |
| внутри́ inside (position) | находи́ться внутри́ коро́бки to be inside the box |
| внутрь inside (movement) | положи́ть внутрь коро́бки to put inside the box |
| во́зле near, alongside | во́зле две́ри alongside the door |
| вокру́г around | вокру́г до́ма around the house |
| впереди́ in front of | впереди́ маши́ны in front of the car |
| всле́дствие due to | всле́дствие си́льных оса́дков due to heavy rainfall |
| в продолже́ние to continue | в продолже́ние те́мы continuing the topic |
| в тече́ние during | в тече́ние уро́ка during the lesson |
| для for | для тебя́ for you |
| до until, up to | до потолка́, до ве́чера up to the ceiling, until the evening |
| из / изо from, out of | из карма́на / и́зо дня в день from the pocket / from day to day |
| и́з-за from behind, due to, because of | и́з-за спины́ from behind |
| и́з-под from under | и́з-под скаме́йки from under the bench |
| кро́ме except, besides | кро́ме тебя́, кро́ме э́того except you, besides this |
| ме́жду between | ме́жду на́ми between us |
| ми́мо past | пройти́ ми́мо апте́ки to walk past the pharmacy |
| напро́тив opposite | напро́тив магази́на in front of the store |
| насчёт about, concerning, as regards | насчёт де́нег about money |
| о́коло near, beside, around | о́коло сту́ла, о́коло до́ма near the chair, near the house |
| от from, away from | от роди́телей, в пяти́ ме́трах от доро́ги from parents, five meters from the road |
| относи́тельно concerning | относи́тельно встре́чи regarding the meeting |
| позади́ behind | позади́ всех behind everyone |
| поми́мо besides, apart from | поми́мо ска́занного besides what’s been said |
| по́сле after | по́сле уро́ков after classes |
| посреди́ in the middle of | посреди́ доро́ги in the middle of the road |
| посре́дством by means of | посре́дством ощуще́ний through sensations |
| про́тив against | про́тив измене́ний against the changes |
| путём by means of | путём отбо́ра by selecting |
| ра́ди for the sake of | ра́ди вы́годы for the sake of profit |
| с / со since, from, off | с пе́рвого дня, со второ́го дня, с по́лки from the first day, from the second day, from the shelf |
| сверх on top of | сверх сто́имости in excess of value |
| свы́ше more than, over | свы́ше но́рмы above norm |
| среди́ among | среди́ друзе́й among friends |
| у near, at, at the house of | у роди́телей, у окна́ at parents, nearby the window |
Dative case prepositions
Дательный падеж
| Preposition with translation | Examples |
|---|---|
| благодаря́ thanks to | благодаря́ по́мощи друзе́й thanks to the help of friends |
| вопреки́ despite | вопреки́ мне́нию други́х contrary to opinion of others |
| к / ко towards, to | к тебе́ / ко второ́му уро́ку to you / towards the second lesson |
| навстре́чу towards | навстре́чу нам towards us |
| напереко́р contrary | напереко́р тому́, что сказа́ли роди́тели contrary to what the parents said |
| по on, along, over, by, according | по пла́ну, по по́лу according to plan, over the floor |
| согла́сно according | согла́сно пла́ну according to plan |
Accusative case prepositions
Винительный падеж
| Preposition with translation | Examples |
|---|---|
| в / во in, to | пойти́ в шко́лу, пойти́ во второ́й класс to go to school, to go to the second grade |
| включа́я including | включа́я э́ти докуме́нты including these documents |
| за behind, beyond (movement) | положи́ть за кре́сло to put behind the chair |
| на on, onto (movement) | на по́лке on the shelf |
| несмотря́ на despite | несмотря́ на разли́чия despite the differences |
| о / об / обо́ against, upon | уда́риться о сте́ну, запну́ться обо́ что́-то to hit a wall, to stumble upon something |
| под / подо́ under (movement) | положи́ть под поду́шку to put under the pillow |
| про about | про тебя́ about you |
| с / cо approximately, about (size) | с сантиме́тр длино́й, разме́ром с кредиту́ю ка́рту of a centimeter long, of the size of a credit card |
| сквозь through | сквозь сте́ны through the walls |
| спустя́ later, after | спустя́ вре́мя after some time |
| че́рез across, through, over | че́рез час, че́рез доро́гу in an hour, across the road |
Instrumental case prepositions
Творительный падеж
| Preposition with translation | Examples |
|---|---|
| за behind, beyond | за шка́фом behind the cupboard |
| ме́жду between | ме́жду стульями between the chairs |
| над / на́до over, above | над голово́й / на́до мной above the head / above me |
| пе́ред / пе́редо in front of, before | пе́ред на́ми / передо мно́й in front of us / in front of me |
| под / подо́ under, below | под водо́й / подо́ мной under water / under me |
| с / со with | прийти́ с подру́гой to come with a girlfriend |
| в связи́ с in connection with, due to | в связи́ с больши́м спро́сом due to high demand |
Prepositional case prepositions
Предложный падеж
| Preposition with translation | Examples |
|---|---|
| в / во in, at (location, time) | в пять часо́в / во дворе́ at five o’clock / in the yard |
| на on, in (location) | лежа́ть на столе́ / гуля́ть на у́лице lie on the table / to walk in the street |
| о / об / обо́ about, concerning | расска́з о дру́жбе / поговори́ть об э́том / узна́ть обо всём story about friendship / to talk about it / to learn about everything |
| при at the time of, in the presence of, while, near | при рожде́нии, при роди́телях, огоро́д при шко́ле at birth, at the presence of parents, garden near the school |
That’s it for this lesson. Practice the Russian prepositions with the audio file and come back for the next lesson to learn Russian with us!
Spotted an error? Help us to correct it please!
Best table! Thanks!
Hi David,
Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
I am working on a data model that is attempting to correct common errors in Russian. You can think of it as a Russian spell checker. I am having some problems coming up with training for the model. I need to introduce errors into the training data so the model can learn how to fix them. I noticed that you do have a Russian spelling section (4 bullets), but I am trying to find more (4 bullets). I know that there are a lot of rules to any language, but I was wondering if you could send over a list, or point me in the direction of a list, of common Russian mistakes.
It would be much apprecitated!
Hi Daniel,
It’s an intersting question.
I think, you can get something from the pronunciation rules. Since in Russian not everything is written as it sounds, you can figure that many would do exactly the opposite: write words as they hear them. For example, малако instead of молоко.
I have the pronunciation rules here: https://learnrussianstepbystep.com/en/russian-pronunciation/. You can take the examples in that lesson and write them as they are pronounced (the pronunciation is in transcription).
Another thing I can think of: we have many words with double consonant. A common error is writing one instead of two and two where it’s not needed. Or in verbs, writing -тся instead of -ться and vise versa.
I have also found these articles in Russian, if they it can be of any help:
– https://blog.selfpub.ru/booksmistakes
– https://interesnyefakty.org/oshibki-v-russkom-yazyike/
I Will trai litle by litle