Why the prepositional comes first
It is the only core Russian case that never appears without a preposition, and its common singular formation is comparatively regular.
- The preposition and intended relation work together: в шко́ле 'in/at school', на рабо́те 'at work', о кни́ге 'about a book'. A memorised ending alone cannot select the phrase.
- No bare form: *Я ду́маю кни́ге is impossible for 'I am thinking about the book'. Use о кни́ге.
| Relation | Preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| location / setting | в, на | в музе́е; на уро́ке |
| topic | о, об | о бра́те; об исто́рии |
| circumstance / presence | при | при враче́; при све́те |
Mini-check
1. Which case can occur only with a preposition? 2. Name the two main beginner relations in this module.
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.