The genitive governs more prepositions than any other case in Russian, and they cover the meanings you reach for constantly: from, out of, without, for, until, at, near, after. Because so many high-frequency prepositions demand the genitive, learning them as a group is one of the most efficient things you can do early on — you build the genitive ending and a useful construction in the same move. Every preposition on this page takes the genitive of the noun that follows it (го́род → из го́рода, дом → у до́ма, ма́ма → для ма́мы). This page walks the everyday core and then sharpens the one distinction English speakers find hardest: which "from" to use.
из — out of / from (a place you can be inside)
из + genitive is "out of" — the source is a place with an inside: a city, a country, a building, a bag. It is the exact mirror of в + accusative ("into"): wherever you go в, you come из.
Она́ то́лько что прие́хала из Москвы́.
She's just arrived from Moscow. (Москва́ → genitive Москвы́; she was в Москве́, so she comes из Москвы́)
Доста́нь, пожа́луйста, ключи́ из су́мки.
Take the keys out of the bag, please. (су́мка → genitive су́мки)
от — from (a person, a point, a source); away from
от + genitive is "from" when the source is a person, or when you mean "away from" a point. Its directional partner is к + dative ("toward / to a person"). It also names the source of a cause — лека́рство от ка́шля, "medicine for [against] a cough."
Я получи́л сообще́ние от дру́га.
I got a message from a friend. (друг → genitive дру́га; you'd write к дру́гу, 'to a friend', dative)
Отойди́ от окна́, там сквозня́к.
Move away from the window, there's a draught. (окно́ → genitive окна́)
Да́йте мне что-нибу́дь от головно́й бо́ли.
Give me something for a headache. (бо́ль → genitive бо́ли; от names what the remedy is against)
до — up to / until / before / as far as
до + genitive covers "until" (time), "as far as / up to" (place), and "before":
Подожди́ меня́ до ве́чера.
Wait for me until the evening. (ве́чер → genitive ве́чера)
До встре́чи!
See you! (literally 'until the meeting' — встре́ча → genitive встре́чи; a set phrase)
у — at / by / near; and the "have" construction
у + genitive means "at / by / near" — being right next to something — and it also builds the everyday Russian way of saying have: у меня́ есть…, literally "by me there is…" That construction is big enough to have its own page: possession with у.
Я жду тебя́ у вхо́да в метро́.
I'm waiting for you by the metro entrance. (вход → genitive вхо́да)
У моего́ бра́та есть соба́ка.
My brother has a dog. (брат → genitive бра́та; literally 'by my brother there is a dog')
без — without
без + genitive is "without" — coffee orders, descriptions, conditions:
Мне ко́фе без са́хара, пожа́луйста.
Coffee without sugar for me, please. (са́хар → genitive са́хара)
для — for (the benefit or purpose of)
для + genitive is "for" in the sense of for someone's sake or for a purpose — not "in exchange for" and not "for a duration."
Я купи́л цветы́ для ма́мы.
I bought flowers for my mum. (ма́ма → genitive ма́мы)
о́коло — near; about (approximately)
о́коло + genitive means "near" in space, and also "about / approximately" with quantities and times:
Мы живём о́коло па́рка, и я бу́ду до́ма о́коло ча́са.
We live near the park, and I'll be home at about one o'clock. (парк → genitive па́рка; час → genitive ча́са, here 'about')
The from-family: из / с / от — and their "to" partners
English has one word, from. Russian splits it three ways by what kind of source it is. This is the distinction that separates a beginner from a confident speaker, and the symmetry with the "to" prepositions is what makes it learnable.
| "From" | Source is… | Pairs with "to" | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
из
| a place you're inside (city, country, building, bag) | в + acc | из шко́лы (from school) |
с
| a surface, or an event/activity | на + acc | с рабо́ты (from work) |
от
| a person, or "away from" a point | к + dat | от дру́га (from a friend) |
Я иду́ из до́ма, пото́м с рабо́ты, и наконе́ц от ба́бушки.
I'm coming from home, then from work, and finally from grandma's. (из + place you're inside; с + activity; от + person)
More genitive prepositions
The genitive rides on a longer list — each one takes the genitive of its noun:
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| из-за | because of; from behind | из-за дождя́ (because of the rain) |
| из-под | out from under; for holding | из-под стола́ (out from under the table); ба́нка из-под варе́нья (a jam jar) |
| по́сле | after | по́сле уро́ка (after the lesson) |
| про́тив | against, opposite | про́тив пра́вил (against the rules) |
| кро́ме | except, besides | кро́ме меня́ (except me) |
| среди́ | among, amid | среди́ друзе́й (among friends) |
| вокру́г | around | вокру́г до́ма (around the house) |
Мы не пошли́ гуля́ть из-за дождя́.
We didn't go for a walk because of the rain. (дождь → genitive дождя́)
По́сле рабо́ты все пошли́ домо́й, кро́ме Анто́на.
After work everyone went home except Anton. (рабо́та → рабо́ты; Анто́н → Анто́на — two genitives)
Common Mistakes
❌ Я прие́хал из врача́.
Incorrect — a person isn't a place you're inside; 'from a person' is от, not из.
✅ Я прие́хал от врача́.
I came from the doctor. (от + genitive врача́)
❌ Я верну́лся из рабо́ты.
Incorrect — you go на рабо́ту, so you come с рабо́ты, not из рабо́ты. Work is an activity, taking с.
✅ Я верну́лся с рабо́ты.
I got back from work. (с + genitive рабо́ты, mirroring на рабо́ту)
❌ Э́тот пода́рок для ты.
Incorrect — для requires the genitive: ты → тебя́. A preposition can't take a nominative.
✅ Э́тот пода́рок для тебя́.
This present is for you. (для + genitive тебя́)
❌ Ко́фе без са́хар, пожа́луйста.
Incorrect — без governs the genitive: са́хар → са́хара.
✅ Ко́фе без са́хара, пожа́луйста.
Coffee without sugar, please. (без + genitive са́хара)
❌ Мы живём о́коло парк.
Incorrect — о́коло takes the genitive: парк → па́рка.
✅ Мы живём о́коло па́рка.
We live near the park. (о́коло + genitive па́рка)
Key Takeaways
- A whole family of prepositions governs the genitive: из, от, до, у, без, для, о́коло — plus из-за, из-под, по́сле, про́тив, кро́ме, среди́, вокру́г.
- Core meanings: из (out of a place you're inside), от (from a person / a point / a cause), до (until / up to / before), у (at / by, and "have"), без (without), для (for someone's sake), о́коло (near / about).
- English's single from splits three ways: из (out of a place), с (off a surface / from an event), от (from a person). The directions pair up — в↔из, на↔с, к↔от — so learning the "to" side gives you the "from" side.
- у + genitive powers the everyday "have" construction (у меня́ есть…), covered on its own page.
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- Possession with У + Genitive (У меня́ есть)A1 — Russian has no verb 'to have' for everyday possession. Instead it says 'by me there is' — у + the possessor in the genitive + есть + the thing in the NOMINATIVE: У меня́ есть кни́га (I have a book). The negative flips the thing to genitive with нет (У меня́ нет вре́мени). Past tense uses был/была́/бы́ло/бы́ли (У меня́ была́ маши́на), negative past не́ было + genitive. Plus when to drop есть, and the н- on у него́ / у неё / у них.
- Genitive After Prepositions (без, для, до, из, от, у, около, после)A2 — Most of the genitive you'll ever use is triggered by prepositions: без са́хара (without sugar), для тебя́ (for you), до конца́ (until the end), из го́рода (from the city), от врача́ (from the doctor), у окна́ (by the window), о́коло до́ма (near the house), по́сле уро́ка (after the lesson), plus про́тив, вокру́г, кро́ме, среди́, ра́ди, ми́мо. Practising the genitive THROUGH its prepositions builds the form and the construction at once — and the из↔в, от↔к, с↔на 'from/to' symmetry ties them together.
- В and На: In/On vs Into/OntoA1 — The two workhorse prepositions в (in/into) and на (on/onto) each take TWO cases: the accusative for motion toward a place (Я иду́ в шко́лу, на рабо́ту) and the prepositional for static location (Я в шко́ле, на рабо́те). The case carries the direction-vs-location meaning. Choosing в vs на itself is lexical — в for enclosed spaces, на for surfaces, events, and a fixed memorized list. Plus the matching 'from' words: в↔из, на↔с.
- Genitive: FormsA2 — The genitive (роди́тельный паде́ж) is one of the most-used and most-varied cases. The singular is tidy: masc/neuter -а/-я (стола́, окна́, музе́я), feminine -ы/-и (кни́ги, неде́ли, но́чи). The plural is the single hardest ending set in Russian — a three-way split between zero ending (often with a fleeting vowel: книг, о́кон, де́вушек), -ов/-ев (столо́в, музе́ев, отцо́в), and -ей (ноже́й, словаре́й, ноче́й). Learn the decision procedure, not a word list.
- Prepositions and Case: How They Work TogetherA1 — The single biggest idea about Russian prepositions: every preposition GOVERNS a case — it is never used alone, and you cannot choose a preposition without also choosing the case it demands. A map of the system by case (genitive: из, от, до, у, для, без, о́коло; dative: к, по; accusative: в, на, за, под, че́рез; instrumental: с, над, под, пе́ред, ме́жду; prepositional: о, при, в/на for location), plus the two-case prepositions where the case itself carries the meaning.
- I Have No…: Нет + Genitive for BeginnersA1 — The everyday way to say you don't have something: У меня́ нет + genitive (У меня́ нет вре́мени, У меня́ нет де́нег). The key flip English speakers miss — the affirmative У меня́ есть кни́га (nominative) becomes the negative У меня́ нет кни́ги (genitive). Нет always takes the genitive of what's missing, in the present (нет), past (не́ было), and future (не бу́дет).