The Prepositions в and на: Location and Direction
How Russian uses в and на to say where something is and where it is going, and why the case changes.
Two small words, в (in) and на (on, at), appear constantly in Russian. They change meaning depending on the case of the noun that follows.
Where you are: prepositional case
For location, the noun takes the prepositional case, which often ends in -е:
- Я в школе. I am at school.
- Я в Москве. I am in Moscow.
- Книга на столе. The book is on the table.
- Он на работе. He is at work.
Where you are going: accusative case
For direction, the noun takes the accusative case:
- Я иду в школу. I am going to school.
- Я еду в Москву. I am travelling to Moscow.
- Он идёт на работу. He is going to work.
Summary
| Question | Case | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Где? (where) | prepositional | в школе |
| Куда? (where to) | accusative | в школу |
в or на
Usually в is used for enclosed spaces, such as в доме (in the house), and на for surfaces and open areas, as in на улице (on the street).
Some words simply use на by custom:
- на работе, at work
- на почте, at the post office
- на концерте, at a concert
Learn them as they come.
Coming and going
- из is the opposite of в: из Москвы, from Moscow.
- с is the opposite of на: с работы, from work.
Tips
- Ask where or where to.
- Learn на phrases by heart.
- Use the dictionary to check forms.
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