Grammar: Prepositions

Russian Prepositions

Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence.
In Russian, prepositions mostly come before the words they are connected with.

Common Russian Prepositions

Some of the most common prepositions include: в (in), на (on), с (with, from), к (to, towards), за (for, behind), по (by, according to), из (out of, from), у (at, near).

Prepositions and Cases

Prepositions in Russian are closely related to nouns cases. It means that the noun or pronoun following the preposition must be in a certain case.
For instance:
- The preposition в requires the noun to be in the Accusative case when indicating motion (e.g. Я иду в кино - I am going to the cinema), but in the Prepositional case when indicating location (e.g. Я в кино - I am at the cinema).
- The preposition с needs the noun to be in the Instrumental case (Я работаю с Петей - I am working with Petya).

Prepositions and Verb Aspects

Sometimes, the use of certain prepositions can determine the aspect of the verb that follows them.
For example, using в to indicate entering somewhere pairs with the imperfective aspect (e.g. Я вхожу в комнату - I am entering the room), but using в with the meaning of ‘into’ pairs with the perfective aspect (e.g. Я войду в комнату - I will enter the room).

Prepositions for Time and Place

Some prepositions are commonly used with expressions of time and place. For example, в is used for precise time points (в семь часов - at seven o’clock), and на is used for holidays and special events (на Рождество - for Christmas).

Expression of Direction and Location

Directly related to prepositions are prefixes of verbs of motion, which can express direction or location. For example, выходить (to go out) is turned into входить (to enter) with the addition of the prefix в-.
The use of prepositions in combination with verbs of motion is a significant aspect of expressing location and direct in Russian. For example, Я иду в парк (I am going to the park) vs Я иду во парке (I am walking in the park).

Remember, learning Russian prepositions is not only about memorising the words themselves, but understanding the cases they govern and how they alter the meaning of sentences.