Igrat na pianino or igrat v futbol
The instrument stands under na: igrat na pianino, na gitare, na skripke. A game with rules goes under v: igrat v futbol, v karty, v pryatki. For example: “Сестра учится играть на пианино” — My sister is learning to play the piano. A rule from the Russian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The instrument stands under na: igrat na pianino, na gitare, na skripke. A game with rules goes under v: igrat v futbol, v karty, v pryatki.
The scheme is plain: na plus the instrument, v plus the game itself. Easy to mix up, and the difference is heard at once: one plays on an instrument, but in a game.
Pianino is it-gender and never changes: igrat na pianino, bez pianino, u pianino — one form all the way.
Table
| What | How we say it | Where |
|---|---|---|
| pianino | igrat na pianino | on stage |
| gitara | igrat na gitare | by the campfire |
| futbol | igrat v futbol | in the yard |
| karty | igrat v karty | at the table |
| pryatki | igrat v pryatki | in the park |
By example
- Сестра учится играть на пианиноSestra uchitsya igrat na pianinoMy sister is learning to play the piano
- После обеда мы играли в картыPosle obeda my igrali v kartyAfter lunch we played cards
- Летом мы играем в футбол во двореLetom my igraem v futbol vo dvoreIn summer we play football in the yard
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Igrat na or igrat v?
The instrument stands under na: igrat na pianino, na gitare, na skripke. A game with rules goes under v: igrat v futbol, v karty, v pryatki.
Na pianino or na pianine?
The instrument stands under na: igrat na pianino, na gitare, na skripke. A game with rules goes under v: igrat v futbol, v karty, v pryatki.
The preposition after igrat?
The instrument stands under na: igrat na pianino, na gitare, na skripke. A game with rules goes under v: igrat v futbol, v karty, v pryatki.
Igrat v futbol or na futbol?
The instrument stands under na: igrat na pianino, na gitare, na skripke. A game with rules goes under v: igrat v futbol, v karty, v pryatki.
What does it look like in a Russian example sentence?
“Сестра учится играть на пианино” (Sestra uchitsya igrat na pianino) — My sister is learning to play the piano. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.