Breakdown of Сундук стоит напротив кровати.
кровать
bed
стоять
to stand
напротив
opposite, across from
сундук
the chest
Questions & Answers about Сундук стоит напротив кровати.
Why is the word for bed, кровать, written as кровати in this sentence?
The preposition напротив (opposite / across from) always requires the noun following it to be in the Genitive case. Since кровать is a feminine noun that ends in a soft sign (-ь), its Genitive ending changes to -и.
Why do we use the verb стоит (stands) for a chest? Wouldn't it just 'be' there?
In Russian, pieces of furniture are usually described using verbs of physical position like стоять (to stand), лежать (to lie), or висеть (to hang), rather than just using a verb for 'to be'. Because a chest (сундук) has a solid, flat base or short legs that it rests on vertically, it 'stands' (стоит).
Does напротив only mean 'opposite' in a physical sense, or can it mean 'opposite' like an opposite idea?
In this sentence (and as a preposition of position generally), напротив is strictly used for physical location (across from / facing). If you want to say 'the opposite of' for abstract ideas, you would use a different word, like the noun противоположность.
Could we put напротив after the noun instead, like кровати напротив?
No, because it acts as a preposition here, it must go immediately before the noun it modifies: напротив кровати. However, you can use напротив completely on its own as an adverb if the object is already understood from context, for example: Сундук стоит напротив (The chest stands opposite).
Learn Сундук стоит напротив кровати and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free