Expressing Location: "В" and "На"
To express location, Russian uses the prepositions в (in) and на (on / at). Nouns following these prepositions take the prepositional case.
For most singular nouns, form the prepositional case with the ending -е:
- Masculine (ending in a consonant): Add -е (банк → в банке).
- Feminine (ending in -а): Replace -а with -е (аптека → в аптеке).
Using "В" (In)
Use в for enclosed spaces, buildings, and general areas.
| Where do you work? I work in an office. | Где ты работаешь? Я работаю в офисе. |
| My friend is in the bank right now. | Мой друг сейчас в банке. |
Using "На" (On / At)
Use на for surfaces.
| The dog is resting on the sofa. | Собака отдыхает на диване. |
| The dictionary is on the shelf. | Словарь на полке. |
Russian also uses на for certain locations where English might say "at" or "in", such as a factory (завод).
| My brother works at a factory. | Мой брат работает на заводе. |
Contrasting Locations
Contrast locations using the conjunction а (and/but).
| Sister works in a pharmacy, and I work in an office. | Сестра работает в аптеке, а я в офисе. |
| The book is on the shelf, and the cat is on the sofa. | Книга на полке, а кот на диване. |
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