Accompaniment with с
с + instrumental means together with; с + genitive means from or off.
- The expanded со appears for pronounceability in certain clusters and lexical frames: со столо́м, со шко́лой, со мной. It governs the same case as с in the intended construction.
- Minimal pair: с рабо́той and с рабо́ты differ only in case ending but express accompaniment/association versus source.
| Instrumental accompaniment | Genitive source |
|---|---|
| с дру́гом - with a friend | от дру́га - from a friend |
| с сестро́й - with a sister | от сестры́ - from a sister |
| с врачо́м - with a doctor | от врача́ - from a doctor |
| с рабо́той - with the work/task | с рабо́ты - from work |
| со столо́м - with the table | со стола́ - off the table |
Mini-check
1. Translate by case: with Anna; from Anna. 2. Choose the meaning of с музе́ем versus из музе́я.
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.