409 Spatial Prepositions 425

Note
В replaces на when the noun is qualified by an adjective: в Востчном
Пам&ре ‘in the Eastern Pamirs’ (except for Кавкз Caucasus’: на
Востчном Кавкзе ‘in the Eastern Caucasus’).

(5) Islands, archipelagoes, peninsulas

(i) На is the norm: на Алске ‘in Alaska’, на Гавйях ‘in Hawaii’,

на К&пре ‘in Cyprus’, на Крсике ‘in Corsica’, на Кр&те ‘on Crete’,
на Мльте ‘in Malta’, на Тайм+ре ‘on the Taimyr peninsula’, на @ве
‘in Java’.
(ii) However, в is used in в Крым3 ‘in the Crimea’ and with islands
ending in -ия: в Гренлндии ‘in Greenland’, в Сард&нии ‘in Sardinia’,
в Сиц&лии ‘in Sicily’ (cf. на строве Сардния/Сицлия ‘on the
island of Sardinia, Sicily’ etc).

(6) Points of the compass

На is used with points of the compass: на востке/зпаде/Aге/

с)вере ‘in the east/west/south/north’, на Jго-востке/сAверо-зпаде
‘in the south-east/north-west’. Political на Зпаде ‘in the West’ (i.e. ‘in
Western countries’) is distinguished from geographical на зпаде ‘in
the west’. Compare на Бл&жнем/Дльнем Востке ‘in the Near/Far
East’.

(7) Towns
(i) Town names, many parts of towns and most regions of Moscow
combine with в: в Москв) ‘in Moscow’; в пере3лке ‘in a side-street’,
в пр&городе ‘in a suburb’; в Остнкино ‘in Ostankino’, в Черёмушках
‘in Cheremushki’.
(ii) На is used as follows:
(a) На окрине ‘in the outskirts’, на плщади ‘in the square’, на 3лице
‘in the street’ (в is possible only when narrowness is emphasized: в 3зких
3лицах ‘in the narrow streets’). Note в/на скв)ре ‘in the small public
garden’.
(b) With some Moscow regions: на Арбте ‘in the Arbat’, на Пр)сне
‘in Presnya’, на Сколе ‘in Sokol’.

(8) Buildings (and parts of buildings), areas and workplaces

426 The Preposition 409–410

(i) Most names of buildings and organizations take в: в апт)ке ‘at the
chemist’s shop’, в аэропорт3 ‘at the airport’, в колхзе ‘at the collective
farm’, в ц&рке ‘at the circus’, в шкле ‘at the school’ etc.
(ii) Combinations with на relate especially to areas historically associated
with open spaces or complexes of buildings rather than single structures.
Thus, both пчта ‘post office’ and стнция ‘station’ take на by association
with the pre-Revolutionary почтвая стнция ‘relay station’, an area
with stables, administrative offices and sleeping accommodation, where
travellers could obtain fresh horses. Combinations with на include the
following:
(a) На аэродрме ‘at the aerodrome’, на бзе ‘at the base’, на
вокзле ‘at the main station’, на в+ставке ‘at the exhibition’, на дче
‘at the country cottage’, на завде ‘at the plant’, на пчте ‘at the post
office’, на почтмте ‘at the main post office’, на предпритии ‘at the
enterprise’, на р+нке ‘at the market’, на склде ‘at the warehouse’,
на спорт&вной площдке ‘at the sports ground’, на стадине ‘at the
stadium’, на стнции ‘at the station’, на стро&тельстве/стрйке ‘at
the building site’, на фбрике ‘at the factory’, на ф)рме ‘at the farm’,
на рмарке ‘at the trade fair’.
(b) Certain parts of buildings and organizations: на балкне ‘on (theatr.
‘in’) the balcony’, на галёрке ‘in the gallery’ (theatr.), на кфедре ‘in
the (university) department’, на факульт)те ‘in the faculty’, на чердак)
‘in the attic’, на русе ‘in the circle’ (theatr.).

Note
В дме ‘in the house’, but на дом3 ‘on the premises, at home’: Он
зарабтывает и на дом3 ‘He earns extra money at home’ (cf. Закз
доствлен н дом ‘The order has been delivered to the door’).
Compare also в тетре ‘in the theatre’ and Рабтаю на тетре/
рдио/телев&дении ‘I work in the theatre/in radio/on TV’ (professional
parlance).

(9) Miscellaneous
На д)реве ‘in a tree’, на корм) ‘in the stern’, на нос3 ‘in the prow’,
на р)йде ‘in the roads’ (of a harbour), на сковород) ‘in a frying-pan’.

410 Nouns which may be used with d and yf, but with
different meanings

Many nouns may be used with either в or на, with negligible difference
 410 Spatial Prepositions 427

in meaning: в/на кварт&ре ‘in the flat’, в/на конAшне ‘in the stable’,
в/на к3хне ‘in the kitchen’, в/на флте ‘in the navy’ etc.
Other nouns combine with в and на, but with a difference in meaning.

(1) Автбус (and other vehicles)

(i) В автбусе ‘in the bus’ is used if there is emphasis on the vehicle
as a scene of activity: Урки я в учила в автбусе/в пезде/в метр
‘I did my homework in the bus/the train/on the underground’.
(ii) На is preferred when emphasis is on travel (though either
preposition may be used): две останвки на метр до Арбта ‘two
stops on the underground to the Arbat’. Only на is possible with the
names of ships: на парохде ‘on the steamer’. Public transport vehicles
may appear in the instrumental case, as an alternative to a prepositional
construction: дохать трамвем ‘to get there by tram’, доствить
груз самолётом/парохдом ‘to deliver a load by aircraft/by steamer’.
However, this does not apply to велосип)д ‘bicycle’, лдка ‘boat’,
метр ‘underground’, мотоц&кл ‘motorcycle’, такс& ‘taxi’, which
appear only with prepositions (хать на велосип)де/на такс& ‘to ride
a bicycle/go by taxi’ etc.).

(2) Вздух
(i) В вздухе means ‘up in the air, pervading the air’: Самолёт в
вздухе ‘The aircraft is up in the air’, В вздухе повс зпах табак
‘The smell of tobacco hung in the air’.
(ii) На вздухе means ‘out in the open air’: на свжем/откр том
вздухе ‘in the fresh/the open air’. Compare the use of на in other
outdoor contexts: Знмя кол шется на ветр3 ‘The flag flutters in the
breeze’, сидть на слнце ‘to sit in the sun’ etc.

(3) Высот/глубин
(i) В is used in the absence of quantification: в прозрчной высот)
‘in the translucent heights’, в морскй глубин)/в окенских глуб&нах
‘in the ocean depths’. Note also в глубин) зла ‘at the back of the
hall’, в глубин) лса ‘in the depths of the forest’, в глубин) сда ‘at
the bottom of the garden’.
(ii) На is used when quantification is stated or implied: на высот)
двух киломтров/на >той высот) ‘at a height of two kilometres/at
this height’, на глубин) трёх сантимтров ‘at a depth of three
centimetres’.
428 The Preposition 410

(4) Глаз
(i) В is used in contexts of emotion or opinion: выражние страдния
в глазх ‘an expression of suffering in the eyes’, Какм болвном я
в глядел в её глазх ‘What an idiot I appeared in her eyes’.
(ii) На denotes:
(a) ‘On the surface’: Контктные лнзы оста8тся на глазх мсяцами
‘Contact lenses stay in the eyes for months on end’.
(b) ‘Swiftly/in the presence of ’: Город рождются на нших глазх
‘Towns spring up before our very eyes’.

Note
Either preposition may be used in the context of tears: В/на глазх
показлись слёзы ‘Tears appeared in her eyes’.

(5) Гор
В гру means ‘uphill’: идт в гру ‘to go uphill’. Н гору refers to a
specific hill or mountain: забрться н гору ‘to climb a mountain’.
Note the mining term на-гор ‘to the surface’.

(6) Двор
(i) Во двор) ‘in the yard’ refers to an area surrounded by houses or a
fence: Во двор) б ло две покр шки ‘There were two tyre covers in
the yard’.
(ii) На двор) denotes:
(a) A specific kind of yard: на кнном двор) ‘in the stable yard’.
(b) ‘Outside’: На двор) зим ‘It is winter outside’.

(7) Мсто
(i) В м)сте is used to denote:
(a) Part of a whole: Кнга првана в однм м)сте ‘The book is torn
in one place’.
(b) A three-dimensional area: в тёмном м)сте ‘in a dark place’.
(c) ‘Together’: всё собрть в однм м)сте ‘to collect everything in
one place’.
(d) ‘The same’: Мы всегд встречлись в однм м)сте ‘We always
met in the same place’.
 410 Spatial Prepositions 429

(e) A locality: в чуд)сном м)сте ‘in a delightful spot’.

Note
В is also used in certain adjectival combinations: в другм м)сте
‘somewhere else’, в рзных местх ‘in various places’.
(ii) На м)сте is used to denote:
(a) ‘The proper place’: Все вщи на м)сте ‘Everything is in its proper
place’.
(b) Immobility: сто5ть на м)сте ‘to stand still’.
(c) Possession: Я сиж" на твоём м)сте ‘I am sitting in your place’.
(d) Former whereabouts: Дньги лежт на пр)жнем м)сте ‘The
money is lying where it was’.
(e) Replacement: На м)сте пустырй в росли жил е квартлы
‘Blocks of flats have sprung up in place of waste ground’.
(f) Flat areas: на рвном м)сте ‘on a level stretch of ground’.
(g) Preferred conduct: на вшем м)сте ‘if I were you’.
(h) Scale of priorities: На вторм м)сте — жилщные услвия
‘Housing conditions are in second place’.

Note
На местх ‘in the provinces’: Првый тур провдится на местх
‘The first round is being held in the provinces’.

(8) Мре
(i) В мре denotes:
(a) Activity or location beneath the surface: Bти р бы вдятся в
Чёрном мре ‘These fish are found in the Black Sea’.
(b) Out at sea, on a voyage etc.: Корбль уж давн в мре ‘The ship
has been under way for some time’; compare also в откр+том мре
‘in the open sea’.
(ii) На мре denotes activity or location on the surface of the sea
(приключния на с"ше и на мре ‘adventures on land and sea’) or
on the seashore (Cлта нахдится на Чёрном мре ‘Yalta is on the
Black Sea’).

(9) Нбо
Either preposition is used to denote the location of natural phenomena
430 The Preposition 410

(огрмное слнце в/на ч&стом н)бе ‘an enormous sun in the clear
sky’), while в is preferred for birds, aircraft, sounds etc. (Вря увдела
в н)бе два вертолёта ‘Varya saw two helicopters in the sky’, В н)бе
посл шался ркот ‘A low rumble was heard in the sky’).

(10) Окн
(i) В окн) means ‘visible at the window’: В окн) показлась ег
голов ‘His head appeared at the window’.
(ii) На окн) means ‘on the window/the window-sill’: На окн) сто5ли
цвет ‘There were flowers on the window-sill’. Note also На кнах
рзовые занавски ‘There are pink curtains at the windows’.

(11) Пле
(i) В пле means ‘out in the fields’: В дервне п"сто, все в пле ‘The
village is deserted, everyone is out in the fields’.
(ii) На пле denotes a specific area or plot: На пле сто5л трктор
‘In the field stood a tractor’, На полх рабтали л8ди ‘People were
working in the fields’, на картфельном пле ‘in a potato field’, на
пле бя ‘on the battle field’, на лётном пле ‘on the flying field’,
на футбльном пле ‘on the football field’.

Note
На полх also means ‘in the margin’.

(12) Развдка

В разв)дке refers to military intelligence, на разв)дке to prospecting:
Он рабтает на разв)дке нфти ‘He works in oil prospecting’.

(13) Рук/р"ки
(i) В рук)/рукх means ‘in the hand/hands’: У Арсния в рукх
авська ‘Arseny is holding a string-bag’.
(ii) На рук)/рукх means ‘in the arm(s)’: На однй рук) у неё
ребёнок ‘She has a child in one arm’, Он подошл с Втькой на
рукх ‘She came up with Vitka in her arms’.

Note
Кнга на рукх ‘The (library) book is out’, У нег семь5 на рукх
‘He has a family to support’.
 410 Spatial Prepositions 431

(14) Свет
(i) В св)те means ‘in the light/bathed in light’: В жёлтом св)те
фонарй толплись двушки ‘The girls crowded in the yellow light
of the lanterns’. Note also figurative usage: в св)те нвых откр тий
‘in the light of recent discoveries’.
(ii) На св)те means ‘in the world’: Склько вдов слонв на св)те?
‘How many species of elephant are there in the world?’. На свет3 is
used when something is examined: Он осмтривала оджду на свет3
‘She was examining the clothes in the light’.

(15) Сел
В сел) means ‘in a village’, на сел) ‘in country areas’: роль
интеллигнции на сел) ‘the intelligentsia’s role in country areas’.

(16) Середна
В or на are used to denote the centre of an area: Трктор в/на
серед&не пля ‘The tractor is in the middle of the field’. В серед&не
denotes enclosure, ‘in between’: в серед&не толп ‘in the middle of a
crowd’.

(17) Ст"дия
В is used for an artist’s studio, and for radio and recording studios
(в рHдиост3дии/в ст3дии звiкозписи), whereas на is used with film
studios (фильм дублрован на кOност3дии ‘The film has been
dubbed at the film studio’).

(18) Суд
В суд) means ‘in the court-room’: В суд) сегдня многол8дно ‘The
court-room is crowded today’; в/на суд) ‘at the trial’.

(19) Dхо
Н ухо is the norm: шепн"ть н ухо ‘to whisper in someone’s ear’. В
3хо may be used to emphasize directed sound: шепн"ть пр5мо в 3хо
‘to whisper directly into someone’s ear’.

(20) Шхта
В шхте means ‘down the mine’, на шхте ‘at the mine/colliery’.
432 The Preposition 411–412

411 Special uses of c + genitive

(1) The nouns enumerated in 410 combine with:

(i) В/на + accusative to denote direction:

Шахтёр спустлся в шхту

The miner went down the mine
Он подхватла ребёнка н руки
She gathered the child up in her arms

(ii) Из/с + genitive to denote withdrawal:

Монта в пала из её рук

The coin fell from her hands

Он упл с большй высот+

He fell from a great height

(2) Some nouns combine only with с + genitive to denote withdrawal,

even where location is expressed by в + prepositional: cf.

Самолёт в вздухе
The aircraft is in the air

Самолёт с (not из!) вздуха замтил трпящих бдствие

The aircraft spotted the victims of the disaster from the air

Compare also

с гор+ downhill
со двор from the yard
с мря from the sea
с н)ба from the sky
с пля/пол)й from the field/fields

412 Uses of d and yf when the dependent noun denotes

an activity, event

(1) На combines with the prepositional of nouns which denote activities

or events: на войн) ‘at the war’, на конц)рте ‘at a concert’, на мтче
‘at a match’, на рабте ‘at work’, на свдьбе ‘at a wedding’, на
собрнии ‘at a meeting’, на урке ‘at the lesson’.
 412–413 Spatial Prepositions 433

(2) Ha + accusative/c + genitive denote, respectively, movement towards

and withdrawal from these activities, thus
Ид" на рабту I am going to work
Ид" домй с рабты I am going home from work

Note
В combines with nouns that denote a performance (a) if the performer
is the subject of the verb (петь в пере ‘to sing in an opera’) and (b) in
references to the content of a work (В Eтой пере мнго красвых рий
‘There are many beautiful arias in this opera’).

413 D and Yf: extension of the spatial meanings

A number of meanings of в and на can be regarded as extensions of the

spatial meanings.

(1) В + prepositional
(i) ‘Covered in’:
Пльцы у мен5 в царпинах
My fingers are covered in scratches
(ii) Distance:
В килом)тре от ГЭС — больше зеро
A large lake is situated a kilometre from the power station
Он живёт в пят& мин3тах ходьб+ от стнции
He lives five minutes’ walk from the station

Note
‘At what distance?’ is rendered as на какм расстонии? (See 415 (2)
for за + accusative in the meaning of distance.)
(iii) A group to which the subject belongs:
Он в гостх He is on a visit
оставться в жив+х to survive

Note
The idea of plurality in phrases of this type is often an abstraction, since
в гостх, for example, can be used even if the subject is the only guest
(cf. also идт в гсти ‘to go visiting’).
434 The Preposition 413–414

(iv) Various physical states:

в её прис3тствии in her presence (cf. в её отс3тствие
‘in her absence’)
в пут& en route
в хоршем состонии in good condition
(v) Various mental states:
Он в вострге He is delighted
Он в хоршем настро)нии She is in a good mood

Note
The phrase в смом д)ле implies confirmation (Он говорт, что он
китец, и в смом д)ле он китец ‘He says he is Chinese, and he
really is Chinese’), while на смом д)ле implies contrast (на вид
таке млые, а на смом д)ле зл е ‘seemingly so nice, but in fact
spiteful’).

(2) Ha + prepositional
Ha + prepositional is used in a number of phrases:
катться на конькх to skate
ходть на л+жах to ski
рук на п)ревязи an arm in a sling
including some which denote state:
на вле/свобде at liberty
быть на п)нсии to be on a pension, retired
на вторй/тр)тьей скрости in second, third gear
на рнней стдии at an early stage

Prepositions that Denote the Position of an Object

in Relation to Another Object (Behind, in Front of,
Below, on Top of etc.), or Movement to or from that
Position

414 Pf + instrumental/accusative, bp-pf + genitive

(1) За + instrumental
(i) За + instrumental means ‘behind, on the other side of, beyond’ etc.: