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Russian • Level 1 • GRAMMAR

prepositional pl

💡 Grammar Rule

Russian Prepositional Case: Plural Nouns

In Russian, the Prepositional Case (Предложный падеж) is used to indicate location or the subject of a thought or conversation. It is primarily used after prepositions such as в (in), на (on/at), and о/об (about).

1. One Rule for All Genders

The best part about the prepositional plural is its simplicity. Unlike the singular forms, almost all nouns—whether masculine, feminine, or neuter—share the same two endings: -ах or -ях.

2. Hard vs. Soft Endings

  • -ах (-akh): Used for nouns with "hard" stems (those ending in a hard consonant or -а/-о).
  • -ях (-yakh): Used for nouns with "soft" stems (those ending in -ь, -й, -я, or -ие).

3. Examples by Gender

Masculine Nouns

For masculine nouns, simply add the ending to the consonant. If the noun ends in -й or -ь, replace it with -ях.

  • Стол (stol - table) → о столах (o stolakh - about the tables)
  • Музей (muzey - museum) → в музеях (v muzeyakh - in the museums)
  • Словарь (slovar' - dictionary) → о словарях (o slovaryakh - about the dictionaries)

Feminine Nouns

Replace the endings -а with -ах, and -я/-ь with -ях.

  • Книга (kniga - book) → о книгах (o knigakh - about the books)
  • Неделя (nedelya - week) → о неделях (o nedelyakh - about the weeks)
  • Тетрадь (tetrad' - notebook) → в тетрадях (v tetradyakh - in the notebooks)

Neuter Nouns

Replace the ending -о with -ах, and -е with -ях.

  • Окно (okno - window) → на окнах (na oknakh - on the windows)
  • Море (more - sea) → о морях (o moryakh - about the seas)
  • Здание (zdanie - building) → в зданиях (v zdaniyakh - in the buildings)

4. Irregular Forms

A few common words have irregular plural stems, but they still usually keep the standard endings:

  • Дети (deti - children) → о детях (o detyakh - about the children)
  • Люди (lyudi - people) → о людях (o lyudyakh - about the people)
  • Друзья (druz'ya - friends) → о друзьях (o druzyakh - about the friends)

Summary Tip: If you are talking about "many things" in the prepositional case, remember the "akh/yakh" sound. It covers the vast majority of nouns in the Russian language!

These books are interesting.
Эти книги интересные.
Eti knigi interesnyye.
We are talking about books.
Мы говорим о книгах.
My govorim o knigakh.
The cities are big.
Города большие.
Goroda bolshiye.
They live in cities.
Они живут в городах.
Oni zhivut v gorodakh.
The children are playing.
Дети играют.
Deti igrayut.
I am thinking about the children.
Я думаю о детях.
Ya dumayu o detyakh.
Where are the tables?
Где столы?
Gde stoly?
The keys are on the tables.
Ключи на столах.
Klyuchi na stolakh.
The windows are clean.
Окна чистые.
Okna chistyye.
There are flowers on the windows.
На окнах цветы.
Na oknakh tsvety.
My friends are here.
Мои друзья здесь.
Moi druzya zdes.
He tells stories about friends.
Он рассказывает о друзьях.
On rasskazyvayet o druzyakh.
These museums are old.
Эти музеи старые.
Eti muzei staryye.
We were in the museums.
Мы были в музеях.
My byli v muzeyakh.
The letters are on the floor.
Письма на полу.
Pisma na polu.
What is written in the letters?
Что написано в письмах?
Chto napisano v pismakh.
New schools are opening.
Новые школы открываются.
Novyye shkoly otkryvayutsya.
Children study in schools.
Дети учатся в школах.
Deti uchatsya v shkolakh.
The parks are beautiful.
Парки красивые.
Parki krasivyye.
People walk in the parks.
Люди гуляют в парках.
Lyudi gulyayut v parkakh.
The stores are closed.
Магазины закрыты.
Magaziny zakryty.
There are no apples in the stores.
В магазинах нет яблок.
V magazinakh net yablok.
Computers are expensive.
Компьютеры дорогие.
Kompyutery dorogiye.
We work on computers.
Мы работаем на компьютерах.
My rabotayem na kompyuterakh.
The houses are white.
Дома белые.
Doma belyye.
The light is on in the houses.
В домах горит свет.
V domakh gorit svet.
The cars are fast.
Машины быстрые.
Mashiny bystryye.
We dream about cars.
Мы мечтаем о машинах.
My mechtayem o mashinakh.
These languages are difficult.
Эти языки трудные.
Eti yazyki trudnyye.
He speaks in three languages.
Он говорит на трёх языках.
On govorit na tryokh yazykakh.
The newspapers are on the table.
Газеты на столе.
Gazety na stole.
I read about it in the newspapers.
Я читал об этом в газетах.
Ya chital ob etom v gazetakh.
The trees are green.
Деревья зелёные.
Derevya zelyonyye.
Birds sit on the trees.
Птицы сидят на деревьях.
Ptitsy sidyat na derevyakh.
The streets are narrow.
Улицы узкие.
Ulitsy uzkiye.
There are many cars on the streets.
На улицах много машин.
Na ulitsakh mnogo mashin.
The pictures are bright.
Картины яркие.
Kartiny yarkiye.
There is dust on the pictures.
На картинах пыль.
Na kartinakh pyl.
The brothers are tall.
Братья высокие.
Bratya vysokiye.
She talks about her brothers.
Она говорит о братьях.
Ona govorit o bratyakh.
The dogs are friendly.
Собаки добрые.
Sobaki dobryye.
We care about the dogs.
Мы заботимся о собаках.
My zabotimsya o sobakakh.
These days are cold.
Эти дни холодные.
Eti dni kholodnyye.
I think about those days.
Я думаю о тех днях.
Ya dumayu o tekh dnyakh.
The questions are easy.
Вопросы лёгкие.
Voprosy lyogkiye.
Let’s talk about the questions.
Давайте поговорим о вопросах.
Davayte pogovorim o voprosakh.
The flowers are beautiful.
Цветы красивые.
Tsvety krasivyye.
There is water on the flowers.
На цветах вода.
Na tsvetakh voda.
The rooms are large.
Комнаты большие.
Komnaty bolshiye.
There are mirrors in the rooms.
В комнатах есть зеркала.
V komnatakh yest zerkala.

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