The Instrumental Plural for Recurring Seasons
To say something happens "in the winter" or "during spring", Russian uses the instrumental singular (e.g., зимой, весной). But to describe cyclical events that repeat year after year—such as animal migrations or natural rhythms—you can use the bare instrumental plural of the season.
| Season | Instrumental Singular | Instrumental Plural |
|---|---|---|
| зима | зимой (in winter) | зимами (in winters) |
| весна | весной (in spring) | вёснами (in springs) |
| осень | осенью (in autumn) | осенями (in autumns) |
While you could say каждую зиму (every winter), using forms like зимами gives your speech a natural, traditional, or slightly poetic tone, making it perfect for describing the cycles of nature.
Notice how it pairs with vocabulary for habitual events, like bears falling into hibernation (спячка).
| In winters, all bears fall into hibernation. | Зимами все медведи впадают в спячку. |
| In winters, our rivers freeze and become covered with ice. | Зимами наши реки замерзают и покрываются льдом. |
Autumn and Spring Cycles
The same pattern applies to the transitional seasons. We use осенями and вёснами to describe the habits of migratory (перелётный) birds setting off (отправляться) south and returning to nest (гнездиться).
| Migratory birds depart for the south in autumns. | Перелётные птицы осенями отправляются на юг. |
| And in springs, these birds return and nest. | А вёснами эти птицы возвращаются и гнездятся. |
The Arrival of the Seasons
When talking about a season "arriving" or "setting in", Russian uses the verb наступать. This often sets the stage for discussing how animals survive (выживать) harsh conditions by finding food (пища).
| When winter arrives, it is hard for animals to survive. | Когда наступает зима, животным тяжело выживать. |
| In winters, they survive by getting food from under the snow. | Зимами они выживают, доставая пищу из-под снега. |
Emphasizing the Timing
To emphasize that a natural event happens in one specific season and not another, you can place focus words like именно (precisely) or как раз (exactly) right before the instrumental plural noun.
| Precisely in autumns, bears look for food, preparing for hibernation. | Именно осенями медведи ищут пищу, готовясь к спячке. |
| Exactly in springs, migratory flocks return from across the sea. | Как раз вёснами перелётные стаи возвращаются из-за моря. |