Spatial, Temporal, and Abstract Prepositions in Russian

Prepositions in Russian serve to express various relationships between words, including location, time, and abstract concepts. These relationships are often conveyed through spatial, temporal, and abstract prepositions, each of which takes a specific case. Understanding these prepositions is crucial for conveying precise meanings in Russian.
In this article, we’ll explore the different categories of prepositions, their usage, and the cases they require.
1. Spatial Prepositions (Пространственные предлоги)
Spatial prepositions indicate the location, direction, or movement of something. They describe where something or someone is located (location), where something is moving (direction), or where an action takes place.
Common Spatial Prepositions:
- В (in, into) – used for location or direction inside something (usually a closed space).
- Я в школе. (I am at school.)
- Он пошел в магазин. (He went into the store.)
- На (on, onto, at) – used for location or direction on surfaces or open spaces.
- Книга на столе. (The book is on the table.)
- Она идет на работу. (She is going to work.)
- Под (under, beneath) – indicates position below something.
- Кошка под столом. (The cat is under the table.)
- За (behind, for) – used to indicate position behind something or for something.
- Он за дверью. (He is behind the door.)
- Перед (in front of) – indicates position in front of something.
- Он стоит перед зданием. (He is standing in front of the building.)
- Между (between) – indicates position between two or more objects.
- Он сидит между друзьями. (He is sitting between his friends.)
- С (with, from) – indicates a relationship of accompaniment or motion from a place.
- Она пришла с другом. (She came with a friend.)
- Он уехал с работы. (He left work.)
- От (from, away from) – used to indicate movement away from a place.
- Мы идем от дома. (We are going from home.)
2. Temporal Prepositions (Временные предлоги)
Temporal prepositions are used to express time-related concepts, including when an event occurs, duration, or frequency. Temporal prepositions often govern the accusative or prepositional case depending on the context.
Common Temporal Prepositions:
- В (in, at, on) – used for months, years, days, and points in time.
- В январе (In January)
- В 2025 году (In the year 2025)
- В понедельник (On Monday)
- В 9 часов (At 9 o’clock)
- На (on, for) – used with specific days or periods, especially when emphasizing duration.
- На следующей неделе (Next week)
- На прошлой неделе (Last week)
- На праздниках (During the holidays)
- С (since, from) – used to express the starting point of an action.
- С утра (Since the morning)
- С понедельника (Since Monday)
- До (until, before) – used to indicate the end point of an action.
- До вечера (Until the evening)
- До 10 часов (Before 10 o’clock)
- После (after) – used to indicate time following an event.
- После работы (After work)
- После завтрака (After breakfast)
- Через (in, after, through) – used to indicate a period of time after which something will happen.
- Через два дня (In two days)
- Через неделю (In a week)
- Во время (during, while) – used to describe something that occurs within a specific time period.
- Во время урока (During the lesson)
- Во время каникул (During the holidays)
3. Abstract Prepositions (Абстрактные предлоги)
Abstract prepositions are used to express relationships between actions, states, or conditions. These prepositions often indicate cause, reason, purpose, or manner and typically take the genitive, dative, or accusative cases.
Common Abstract Prepositions:
- Для (for) – used to indicate purpose or intended recipient.
- Это подарок для тебя. (This is a gift for you.)
- Я купил это для работы. (I bought this for work.)
- Из-за (because of, due to) – used to indicate the reason or cause of something.
- Из-за дождя мы не пошли гулять. (Because of the rain, we didn’t go for a walk.)
- По (according to, by, along) – used to express a manner, according to something, or following a plan.
- По плану мы должны закончить сегодня. (According to the plan, we must finish today.)
- По словам учителя, завтра будет тест. (According to the teacher, there will be a test tomorrow.)
- Согласно (according to) – used to express conformity or agreement with something.
- Согласно закону, это запрещено. (According to the law, this is prohibited.)
- Из (from, out of) – used to express origin, source, or cause.
- Она пришла из Москвы. (She came from Moscow.)
- Вместо (instead of) – used to indicate substitution or replacement.
- Я купил кофе вместо чая. (I bought coffee instead of tea.)
- О (about, concerning) – used to indicate the subject of discussion or thought.
- Мы говорим о фильме. (We are talking about the movie.)
- Он думает о будущем. (He is thinking about the future.)
- При (at, in the presence of) – used to express a condition or context in which something occurs.
- При мне этого не было. (This didn’t happen in my presence.)
- При плохой погоде матч не состоится. (The match will not take place in bad weather.)
4. Case Usage with Prepositions:
Each type of preposition takes a specific case, and it’s important to understand which case follows each preposition. Below is a summary of the typical cases used with these prepositions:
Preposition | Case | Example |
---|---|---|
В | Accusative / Prepositional | В магазин (acc.) / В магазине (prep.) |
На | Accusative / Prepositional | На работу (acc.) / На работе (prep.) |
Из | Genitive | Из магазина (From the store) |
С | Instrumental / Genitive | С другом (instr.) / С работы (gen.) |
По | Dative / Accusative | По дороге (dat.) / По правилам (acc.) |
До | Genitive | До вечера (Until the evening) |
После | Genitive | После работы (After work) |
При | Prepositional | При нём (In his presence) |
Из-за | Genitive | Из-за дождя (Because of the rain) |
Conclusion
In Russian, prepositions play a vital role in expressing spatial, temporal, and abstract relationships. By mastering the meanings and correct usage of these prepositions with their corresponding cases, learners can form more accurate and natural sentences. Whether you’re talking about the location of an object, the time when an event occurs, or expressing abstract ideas, these prepositions provide essential tools for clear communication in Russian.
Understanding and practicing the different prepositions and their cases will significantly enhance your Russian language skills.
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