У кассы я разменяю купюру и заплачу мелкими монетами.

At the cash desk I will break a banknote and pay with small coins.

Breakdown of У кассы я разменяю купюру и заплачу мелкими монетами.

• я: I
• и: and
• у: at
• заплатить: to pay

Questions & Answers about У кассы я разменяю купюру и заплачу мелкими монетами.

Why does у кассы mean “at the cash register,” and why is кассы in the genitive?

У basically means “by/near/at (someone/something)” and it requires the genitive case.
So у кассы literally means “by the register/cash desk.”

• Nominative: касса
• Genitive: кассы (after у)

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Could I also say на кассе or в кассе here? What’s the difference?

Yes, but the meaning shifts:

• у кассы = near/at the register (physically next to it); very common for “at the checkout.”
• на кассе = at the register as a workstation (often implies someone is working there): Она работает на кассе.
• в кассе = in the cash desk / in the cash register (inside it), or “in the cashier’s office” depending on context; not what you want for “at checkout.”

For a customer standing at checkout, у кассы is the most natural.

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Why is я разменяю future tense? I thought Russian often uses present for future.