Recurring Temporal Routines
To talk about habits or actions that happen regularly at a certain time or on certain days (like "on weekdays" or "in the evenings"), use the preposition по followed by the Dative plural.
For most nouns, the Dative plural ending is -ам or -ям. Note that выходные (weekends) acts as an adjective, so it takes the adjectival Dative plural ending -ым (по выходным).
| I usually work on weekdays, and rest on weekends. | Я обычно работаю по будням, а отдыхаю по выходным. |
| We have a strict schedule: in the mornings we work, and in the evenings we rest. | У нас строгий график: по утрам мы работаем, а по вечерам отдыхаем. |
Wandering and Traveling Around
The structure по + Dative plural is also used to describe movement distributed across multiple locations. It translates to "around," "through," or "about" different places.
You will frequently see this paired with verbs of multidirectional or aimless motion, such as бродить (to wander) and разъезжать (to travel or drive around). Remember that any adjectives modifying the destinations must also take Dative plural endings (-ым or -им).
| We love to wander through the parks and enjoy nature. | Мы любим бродить по паркам и наслаждаться природой. |
| The manager often travels around to different cities. | Менеджер часто разъезжает по разным городам. |
Distributing and Dispersing
Finally, по + Dative plural is used to express distributing items to various recipients, or people dispersing to their respective destinations (like going "door-to-door" or "back to their homes").
This function naturally pairs with verbs starting with the prefix рас- or раз-, which indicates spreading out or dividing. Common examples include рассылать (to send out), раздавать (to hand out), and расходиться (to disperse).
| The secretary sends out the documents to the departments. | Секретарь рассылает документы по отделам. |
| After work, people disperse to their homes. | После работы люди расходятся по домам. |