Questions & Answers about Вход в здание справа, а выход слева.
Why is there no explicit verb in the sentence (no is/are)?
In Russian, present-tense statements that link a subject to a location or description usually omit the copula. So Вход в здание справа is a complete sentence without a verb. A fuller, equally correct version is Вход в здание находится справа, а выход находится слева. You’ll rarely see есть here; it’s more for existential sentences like В здании есть лифт.
What does а mean here, and why not и?
А signals contrast or opposition, roughly like whereas or but. It highlights the right vs. left contrast: entrance on the right, whereas the exit is on the left. И (and) would just add information without contrast. И isn’t wrong, but а is more idiomatic here.
Why is it в здание and not в здании?
Because в + accusative expresses motion/direction into something. Вход в здание literally means entrance into the building. В здании (prepositional) would mean in the building and would describe a location inside the building, which changes the meaning.
How can I tell that здание is accusative when it looks the same as nominative?
Neuter inanimate nouns often have identical nominative and accusative forms. You know it’s accusative from the preposition and meaning (direction into). Forms:
- Nominative singular: здание
- Accusative singular: