Learn Hardcore Russian: Рядом с розеткой стоит небольшой столик, и там мне уютно работать с устройством. - There’s a small table next to the outlet, and it’s cozy there to work with the device.

The preposition рядом с (“next to”) always governs the instrumental case. In Russian, many two-word prepositional phrases have fixed case requirements. Here розетка becomes розеткой to show location: “next to the outlet.”

What does стоит небольшой столик mean, and why use стоит with a table?

Literally, стоит means “stands.” Russian often uses стоять/лежать/висеть to describe where objects are located. So стоит небольшой столик = “a small table is standing (there).” It’s an existential way to introduce the table’s position.

Why is there a comma before и in this sentence?

The sentence has two independent clauses joined by и (“and”): 1) Рядом с розеткой стоит небольшой столик 2) там мне уютно работать с устройством In Russian, when и connects two clauses that each have their own subject or predicate, you place a comma before и.

How do I understand там мне уютно работать с устройством? Why мне уютно?

This is an impersonal construction expressing the speaker’s feeling. Breakdown:

там = “there”
мне = dative pronoun “to me”
уютно = predicative adverb “cozy,” “comfortable”
работать = infinitive “to work”
с устройством = “with the device” Together: “It’s cozy for me to work with the device there.” In Russian, feelings are often expressed impersonally with a dative experiencer (мне).

Why is устройство in the instrumental case after работать с?

The verb phrase работать с (“to work with”) requires the instrumental case for its object. Thus устройство becomes устройством. Think of it like “using” or “with the help of” the device.

What’s the difference between уютно and удобно in this context?

– уютно conveys a sense of emotional warmth or snugness (“cozy, homey”).
– удобно means “convenient” or “comfortable” in a more practical sense (e.g., ergonomic, well-arranged).
Here the speaker emphasizes the pleasant, cozy atmosphere, not just practical convenience.

Could I replace рядом с with около? Are they interchangeable?

Yes, both mean “near/next to,” but:

около is a single preposition and slightly more neutral.
рядом с often feels more precise or descriptive (“right next to”).
In everyday speech they’re generally interchangeable, but рядом с paints a slightly clearer picture of closeness.

What does там add here? Could I drop it?

там (“there”) pinpoints the location where the speaker feels cozy. Without там, you’d say мне уютно работать с устройством, which means “I feel cozy working with the device” but loses the spatial nuance. там ties the feeling specifically to the spot beside the outlet.