Breakdown of Рядом с домом есть аптека.
дом
house
аптека
pharmacy
есть
is, there is, to have
рядом с
next to
Questions & Answers about Рядом с домом есть аптека.
Why do we need the word есть in this sentence?
Using есть translates to "There is a pharmacy next to the house," introducing the pharmacy as new information. If you omit есть and change the word order to Аптека рядом с домом, it answers "Where is the pharmacy?" (The pharmacy is next to the house) rather than "What is nearby?".
Why is дом (house) in the Instrumental case (домом)?
The phrase рядом с (next to) always requires the Instrumental case, because the preposition с here functions like "with". Literally, it translates to something like "side-by-side with the house."
Could I just use рядом without с?
Not when you mention the specific object it is next to. Рядом by itself just means "nearby" (for example, Аптека рядом - The pharmacy is nearby). To say "next TO the house," you must pair it with с plus the Instrumental case.
Why does the sentence start with the location (Рядом с домом) instead of the subject (аптека)?
In Russian, the most important or newest information usually goes at the end of the sentence. When translating English "There is a..." sentences, the location is the established background, and the object's existence is the new detail. Because of this, it is standard to start with the location and end with the subject.
Learn Рядом с домом есть аптека 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