Learn Russian: Касса здесь, а не там.

In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" is almost always left out. Instead of saying "The till is here," you simply say Касса здесь (The till here).

Since we are learning about locations and the Prepositional case, why don't здесь and там change their endings?

The words здесь (here) and там (there) are adverbs, not nouns. Only nouns, adjectives, and pronouns change their endings to the Prepositional case (adding -е) to show location. Because they are adverbs, здесь and там never change form!

Why use the word а here? Doesn't it mean "and" or "but"?

The word а is a contrasting conjunction. It usually translates to "but" or "whereas." We use it when comparing or contrasting two different things. In this case, we are contrasting two locations: here (здесь), as opposed to not there (не там). You will often see the phrase а не used to mean "and not" or "rather than."

Could касса mean something other than "till"?

Yes! Depending on where you are, касса can mean a cash register in a supermarket, a bank teller's counter, or a ticket office at a cinema or train station.