Naprotiv, vdol, cherez: the road prepositions and their forms
Directions are given with prepositions, and each takes its own form of the noun. The reference points stand in the of-form: naprotiv banka, vdol ulitsy, u apteki, okolo perekryostka, do kontsa ulitsy. For example: “Вдоль улицы до конца, аптека будет напротив банка” — Along the street to the end, the pharmacy is opposite the bank. A rule from the Russian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Directions are given with prepositions, and each takes its own form of the noun. The reference points stand in the of-form: naprotiv banka, vdol ulitsy, u apteki, okolo perekryostka, do kontsa ulitsy.
Cherez takes the whom-what form and is always about crossing: cherez dorogu, cherez most, cherez reku. It works in time too: cherez chas, cherez god.
K looks ahead and takes the to-form: k reke, k tsentru, k vecheru. A place, meanwhile, answers where and stands in the about-form: na uglu, v kontse ulitsy, na ostanovke.
In directions a word is often dropped: vyydite na sleduyushchey — everyone hears at the next stop. The context does the work of the form.
Table
| Preposition | The form it takes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| naprotiv | the of-form | apteka naprotiv banka |
| vdol | the of-form | derevya vdol ulitsy |
| u | the of-form | u mosta |
| okolo | the of-form | okolo perekryostka |
| do | the of-form | do kontsa ulitsy |
| cherez | the whom-what form | cherez dorogu |
| k | the to-form | k reke |
| na uglu | the about-form | apteka na uglu |
By example
- Вдоль улицы до конца, аптека будет напротив банкаVdol ulitsy do kontsa, apteka budet naprotiv bankaAlong the street to the end, the pharmacy is opposite the bank
- Магазин через дорогу, около светофораMagazin cherez dorogu, okolo svetoforaThe shop is across the road, by the traffic light
- К реке идёт тропинка, она у мостаK reke idyot tropinka, ona u mostaA path leads to the river, it is by the bridge
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
The form after naprotiv?
Directions are given with prepositions, and each takes its own form of the noun. The reference points stand in the of-form: naprotiv banka, vdol ulitsy, u apteki, okolo perekryostka, do kontsa ulitsy.
Vdol ulitsy: which form and why?
Directions are given with prepositions, and each takes its own form of the noun. The reference points stand in the of-form: naprotiv banka, vdol ulitsy, u apteki, okolo perekryostka, do kontsa ulitsy.
How to explain the way in Russian?
K looks ahead and takes the to-form: k reke, k tsentru, k vecheru. A place, meanwhile, answers where and stands in the about-form: na uglu, v kontse ulitsy, na ostanovke.
Road prepositions and their forms?
Directions are given with prepositions, and each takes its own form of the noun. The reference points stand in the of-form: naprotiv banka, vdol ulitsy, u apteki, okolo perekryostka, do kontsa ulitsy.
What does it look like in a Russian example sentence?
“Вдоль улицы до конца, аптека будет напротив банка” (Vdol ulitsy do kontsa, apteka budet naprotiv banka) — Along the street to the end, the pharmacy is opposite the bank. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.