Prepositions
About half of the Russian prepostions use only the genitive case. Two
additional genitive-only
prepositions are compounds: ‘из-за’ (from behind) and ‘из-под’ (from under).
The
Genitive-only Prepositions
|
English
Meanings |
Russian
Preposition |
Case |
Example |
|
Translation |
|
without |
без |
+
gen. |
без
рабо́ты |
1 |
without
work |
|
instead
of |
вме́сто |
+
gen. |
вме́сто
отца́ |
2 |
instead
of the father |
|
around |
вокру́г |
+
gen. |
Ско́лько
киломе́тров
бу́дет
вокру́г о́зера? |
3 |
How
many kilometers will there be around the lake? |
|
for |
для |
+
gen. |
я
пригото́вила
обе́д для
госте́й |
4 |
I
prepared dinner for the guests. |
|
until,
as far as, |
до |
+
gen. |
она́
идёт то́лько
до ста́нции |
5 |
She
goes only as far as the station. |
|
out
of, from |
из |
+
gen. |
письмо́
из Москвы́ |
6 |
a
letter from Moscow |
|
besides,
except for |
кро́ме |
+
gen. |
кро́ме
бра́та |
7 |
except
for the brother |
|
past,
by |
ми́мо |
+
gen. |
мы
прое́хали
ми́мо музе́я |
8 |
We
drove past the museum. |
|
near,
approximately |
о́коло |
+
gen. |
шкаф
стои́т
о́коло
две́ри |
9 |
The
cupboard stands near the door. |
|
(away)
from |
от |
+
gen. |
неда́леко
от
институ́та |
10 |
not
far from the institute |
|
after |
по́сле |
+
gen. |
по́сле
экза́мена |
11 |
after
the exam |
|
against,
opposite |
про́тив |
+
gen. |
они́
жи́ли
про́тив
па́рка |
12 |
They
lived opposite the park. |
|
for
the sake of |
ра́ди |
+
gen. |
ра́ди
стра́ны |
13 |
for
the country |
|
among,
amidst |
среди́ |
+
gen. |
среди́
това́рищей |
14 |
among
the comrades |
|
belonging
to, by, at the house of |
у |
+
gen. |
у
меня́ но́вые
часы́ |
15 |
I
have a new watch. |
Other
Prepositions which make use of only a single case
|
about |
про |
+
acc. |
я
про вас
мно́го слы́шал |
16 |
I
heard a lot about you. |
|
across,
through |
че́рез |
+
acc. |
че́рез
мост е́дет
трамва́й |
17 |
Across
the bridge goes the tram. |
|
towards,
to the house of |
к |
+
dat. |
внук
бежи́т к
ба́бушке |
18 |
The
grandson is running to his grandmother. |
|
between,
among |
ме́жду |
+
inst. |
ме́жду
комо́дом и
шка́фом
была́ дверь |
19 |
There
was a door between the wardrobe and the cupboard. |
|
above,
over |
над |
+
inst. |
над
го́родом
лете́ли
самолёты |
20 |
Planes
were flying over the city. |
|
in
front of, before |
пе́ред |
+
inst. |
пе́ред
до́мом
большо́й сад |
21 |
In
front of the house is a large garden. |
|
at
the time of, in the reign of, in the presence of |
при |
+
prep. |
он
сказа́л э́то
при мне |
22 |
He
said it in my presence. |
Two-way
Prepositions
There are five of them. They are each
paired with the accusative case,
which is used when indicating “motion toward a goal”.
|
in,
at into,
to (motion) |
в в |
+
prep. +
acc. |
мы
бы́ли в саду́
она́
лети́т во
Фра́нцию |
23 |
We
were in the garden. She
is flyiing to France. |
|
on,
at onto,
to (motion) |
на на |
+
prep. +
acc. |
па́лка
лежи́т на
столе́ я
иду́ на
рабо́ту |
24 |
The
saw is lying on the table. I
am going to work |
|
about
against
(motion) |
о/об о/об |
+
prep. +
acc. |
не
ду́майте о
сы́не он
споткну́лся
о поро́г |
25 |
Don't
think about the son. He
stumbled over the threshold. |
|
behind,
beyond behind,
beyond (motion) |
за за |
+
inst. +
acc. |
ко́шка
сиде́ла за
шка́фом ко́шка
побежа́ла за
шкаф |
26 |
The
couch is behind the cupboard. The
cat ran behind the cupboard. |
|
under
under
(motion) |
под под |
+
inst. +
acc. |
перо́
лежа́ло под
ковро́м перо́
упа́ло под
ковёр |
27 |
The
pen is lying under the carpet. The
pen fell under the carpet. |
Three-way
Prepositions
There are two three-way prepositions
in Russian, ’по’ and ‘с’.
|
along,
through, according to
|
по
|
+
dat.
|
лю́ди
бежа́ли по
го́роду
мне
это и по
сегодняшний
день
непонятно |
28 |
people
ran through city after
the arrival of the doctor, she was better it
is still, even to this day, not clear to me |
|
with
(down)
from, since approximately |
с с с |
+
inst. +
gen. +
acc. |
с
кем вы
говори́ли я
прихожу́ с
рабо́ты я
пробу́ду там
с неде́лю |
29 |
who
did you talk to I
am coming from work I'll
be there for the week |
Updated
10/12/2018