GrammarPrepositional
Everything about the Russian Prepositional case.
Prepositional
In Russian, the Prepositional Case (предло́жный паде́ж) is unique because it can only be used with a preposition. While it is most famous for indicating location, answering the question где? (where?), many common verbs demand this case to express what/who someone is thinking or talking about.
When to use Prepositional
Here is the overview on when to use the Prepositional case:
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| Location (Where?) в, на - in, on | - I live in London. - The book is on the table. |
| About Someone or Something о / об / обо - about | - We are talking about the movie. |
| Time (Months and Years) | - in January |
| Verbs with fixed prepositions | - I play the guitar. |
| In the presence/time of при - at/under | - under Peter the Great |
| After/upon (rare, formal) по - upon | - Upon arrival |
1. Location (Where?)
The most common use is to indicate a location. When you are at or in a place, you use the prepositional case with в or на. Choosing between the two is not always obvious - see article в vs на for the full rules.
Preposition: в - in
Used for enclosed spaces, cities, and countries.
- - I live in London.
- - I am in the room.
- - The kid is in the car.
Preposition: на - on/at
Used for surfaces, open spaces, events (concerts, lessons) and specific buildings like на по́чте (at the post office) or на вокза́ле (at the station).
- - The book is on the table.
- - I am at work.
- - Mom is in the kitchen.
- - We are at a concert.
Note that в and на are "dual-case" prepositions. They use the Accusative if there is movement (куда́? where to?) and the Prepositional if there is no movement (где? where at?).
Я иду́ в парк. - I am going to the park. (Accusative: movement into the park)
Я гуля́ю в па́рке. - I am walking in the park. (Prepositional: location in the park)
Some verbs describe where someone lives, works, studies or spends time, so they naturally appear with в or на + Prepositional:
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| жить / пожи́ть to live | I live in Moscow. |
| рабо́тать / порабо́тать to work | He works in the office / on the post. |
| учи́ться / вы́учиться to study | She studies at the university. |
| находи́ться / найти́сь to be located | The museum is on this street. |
| гуля́ть / погуля́ть to walk/stroll | We are walking in the park. |
2. About Something or Someone
Use this case when expressing the topic of a thought, speech, or piece of media.
О / ОБ / ОБО - About
О is used before most consonants: - about the movie.
Depending on the context, the word о is written as об or обо instead:
- об is used before vowels: - about history.
- обо is used before certain clusters or "me": - about me, - about everything.
These verbs of thinking, speaking and remembering take о + Prepositional to name their topic:
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| ду́мать / поду́мать to think | I'm thinking about you. |
| говори́ть / сказа́ть to speak/talk | We are talking about the weather. |
| мечта́ть / помечта́ть to dream | He dreams about a car. |
| расска́зывать / рассказа́ть to tell/narrate | She is telling about work. |
| вспомина́ть / вспо́мнить to recall | I often recall [the] summer. |
| спра́шивать / спроси́ть to ask | They are asking about prices. |
| узнава́ть / узна́ть to find out | We found out about this yesterday. |
3. Verbs with fixed prepositions
Some verbs combine with a fixed preposition and use the Prepositional case in ways that don't translate directly as "location" or "about."
- игра́ть на - To play a musical instrument
- - I play the guitar.
- е́здить на - To travel by a specific mode of transport
- - We are going by train.
- нужда́ться в - To be in need of
- - They need help.
- сомнева́ться в - To doubt
- - I doubt this.
4. при - In the time/presence of
The preposition при is strictly Prepositional. It implies being "near" or "under the conditions of."
- Proximity: - a school at/attached to the embassy
- Circumstance: - while walking
- Historical: - under Peter the Great
5. (rare) по - After/Upon
The preposition по is one of the most versatile in Russian and usually uses the Dative case (e.g., walking along the street).
In formal or literary Russian, по + Prepositional means that one event happens immediately after another. It often carries a sense of "upon completion of."
- - Upon arrival
- - Upon graduation/finishing
- - Upon return
In casual speech, most Russians will just say по́сле (after) + Genitive. You will mostly see this version in official documents, literature, or formal announcements.
Prepositional endings with -у (Locative)
Usually, masculine nouns in the Prepositional case end in -е (e.g., в па́рке). However, a specific group of common masculine nouns uses a stressed -у (or -ю) ending when used with в or на to indicate location.
Important Rule:
This -у ending only happens when you are talking about where something is (location). If you use the preposition о (about), the ending reverts to the standard -е.
Location: - in the cupboard
About: - about the cupboard
This is actually a "ghost" of an old Slavic case (the Locative) that merged with the Prepositional case but kept its unique ending for these specific, frequently used words.
Common masculine nouns with -у Ending
| аэропо́рт Airport | in the airport |
| шкаф Cupboard/Closet | in the cupboard |
| сад Garden | in the garden |
| лес Forest | in the forest |
| мост Bridge | on the bridge |
| бе́рег Shore/Bank | on the shore |
| пол Floor | on the floor |
| у́гол Corner | in the corner |
| Крым Crimea | in Crimea |
| год Year | в ... году́, e.g. in ... year (e.g., in this year) |
| ряд Row | in the row |
| бой Battle/Fight | in the battle |
Notable phrases to remember
- - Last year
- - This year
- - On the edge
- - On board (a ship or plane)
Prepositional Case - Declension Overview
Quick reference for nouns full rules and tables
| Noun | Prepositional Singular | Prepositional Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -е / -и* стол → столе́ ге́ний → ге́нии | -ах / -ях столы́ → стола́х учителя́ → учителя́х |
| Feminine | -е / -и* кни́га → кни́ге ночь → но́чи | -ах / -ях кни́ги → кни́гах но́чи → ноча́х |
| Neuter | -е / -и* окно́ → окне́ зда́ние → зда́нии | -ах / -ях о́кна → о́кнах моря́ → моря́х |
- The -и Exception: In the singular, most nouns end in -е. However, three specific groups use -и: Feminine nouns ending in -ь (like ночь → но́чи). Nouns ending in -ия (like Росси́я → Росси́и). Nouns ending in -ие or -ий (like зда́ние → зда́нии or ге́ний → ге́нии).
The Locative -у: Some masculine nouns use -у́ when indicating location (e.g., в шкафу́, в лесу́, на мосту́).
Plural Simplicity: Just like Dative (-ам/-ям) and Instrumental (-ами/-ями), the Prepositional plural is very regular with -ах/-ях.
Quick reference for adjectives full rules and tables
| Adjective Type | Prepositional Singular | Prepositional Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -ом / -ем но́вый → но́вом си́ний → си́нем | -ых / -их но́вые → но́вых си́ние → си́них |
| Feminine | -ой / -ей но́вая → но́вой си́няя → си́ней | -ых / -их но́вые → но́вых си́ние → си́них |
| Neuter | -ом / -ем но́вое → но́вом си́нее → си́нем | -ых / -их но́вые → но́вых си́ние → си́них |
The -ом / -ем Trap: A common mistake for students is confusing the Prepositional Adjective ending -ом with the Instrumental Noun ending -ом. С но́вым столо́м - With a new table О но́вом столе́ - About a new table
Feminine Consistency: For Feminine adjectives, the Genitive, Dative, Instrumental, and Prepositional cases all share the same endings (-ой / -ей).
Plural: Again, the plural ending -ых / -их is universal across all three genders.
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