Describing Locations with "Который"
When you want to describe a place by talking about what is located or happening in or on it (e.g., "the house in which we live"), the relative pronoun который takes the prepositional case.
Remember the core rule:
- Gender and number come from the noun it describes.
- Case comes from its role in the relative clause. Here, it follows the preposition в (in) or на (on).
Masculine and Neuter Nouns
For masculine and neuter nouns, the prepositional form is котором.
The preposition you use inside the clause depends on which preposition the place naturally takes. For example, we say в доме (in the house), so we use в котором.
| This is a spacious house in which we want to live. | Это просторный дом, в котором мы хотим жить. |
However, because we say на участке (on the plot), we must use на котором.
| The client is looking for a spacious plot on which we can build. | Клиент ищет просторный участок, на котором мы можем строить. |
| This is a plot on which we will build a garage. | Это участок, на котором мы будем строить гараж. |
Feminine Nouns
For feminine nouns, the prepositional relative pronoun is которой.
| Here is the apartment in which a large bathroom is located. | Вот квартира, в которой находится большая ванная. |
| We are sitting in the room in which the fireplace is located. | Мы сидим в комнате, в которой находится камин. |
Subject vs. Location
Always look at what the relative pronoun is doing inside its own clause to determine its case.
If the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause (e.g., "the house which is located..."), it takes the nominative case.
| The director is selling a house which is in poor condition. | Директор продаёт дом, который находится в плохом состоянии. |
But if it describes the location where something else is or happens (e.g., "the house in which it is warm"), it takes the prepositional case.
| This is a house in good condition in which it is always warm. | Это дом в хорошем состоянии, в котором всегда тепло. |