Breakdown of По прибытии на вокзал мы организовали проводы друга.
мы
we
друг
friend
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
вокзал
train station
Questions & Answers about По прибытии на вокзал мы организовали проводы друга.
Why is проводы used here for "send-off," and how does it relate to the word for "wire" (провод)?
The noun провод has two plural forms with completely different meanings, which is exactly what you are studying in this lesson. The form провода means "wires" (like electrical cables). The form проводы, however, means a "send-off" or "farewell." It is connected to the verb проводить (to see someone off) and only exists in this plural form.
Why does прибытии end in -ии here instead of the usual prepositional -е?
The preposition по followed by the prepositional case translates to "upon" or "immediately after" (here, "upon arrival"). Nouns ending in -ие in the nominative case, like the neuter noun прибытие, take -ии in the prepositional case rather than the standard -е.
The English translation says "at the station," so why is it на вокзал (accusative) instead of на вокзале (prepositional)?
Verbal nouns like прибытие (arrival) keep the same directional case rules as the verbs they are built from. Because you arrive to a destination in Russian (прибыть на вокзал), indicating motion, the verbal noun also requires the accusative case to show that direction: прибытие на вокзал.
Why is друга in the genitive case?