16.5 - Cases with prepositions (2)
As mentioned on page 16.4, some prepositions are used with more than one case. These are shown in the chart below, with their different meanings, and some examples. For an explanation of the use of the pronouns highlighted in blue see the note below the chart.
| genitive | accusative | instrumental | locative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| в/у | among, belonging to: у Марини є сестра | in, into | in | |
| на | on, onto, to (an event), for | on, at (an event) | ||
| за | in the time of: за царя Опенька, коли Земля була маленька | in the course of, for, in exchange for: зуб за зуб, око за око | behind, after, at, according to, beyond, in the words of: за Ґрінвічем | |
| по | up to, as far as: П'яному – море по коліна | along: Він ішов по вулиці | ||
| з/зі/із | from, of: Ми їхали з Києва до Львова | with: хліб з маслом | ||
| між | between, among | between, among | ||
| над | above, over | above, over | ||
| перед | before, in front of | before, in front of | ||
| під | under, below, near | under, below, near | ||
| поза | beyond | beyond | ||
| поміж | among | among | ||
| понад | above, over | above, over | ||
| попід | under | under |
Some of the prepositions in the above chart have pairs of meanings (highlighted in blue), in which use of the preposition with the accusative normally denotes movement to or in the direction of, whereas with the instrumental or locative it denotes static presence in or at. The following are some examples:
| Movement to | Presence in/at |
| Марко пішов на концерт (accusative) | Марко був на концерті (locative) |
| Marko went to the concert | Marko was at the concert |
| Собака заліз під стіл (accusative) | Собака сидів під столом (instrumental) |
| The dog crawled under the table | The dog was sitting under the table |
| Пам'ятник перенесено поза місто (accusative) | Пам'ятник розташований поза містом (instrumental) |
| The monument has been relocated outside the town | The monument stands outside the town |
Compound prepositions
A number of the prepositions mentioned on this page and on page 16.4 can be combined (usually with з-) to give compounds. If you are familiar with the meanings of the simple prepositions, the compounds are not difficult to work out as, for example:
| з-під | from under |
| із-за (з-за) | from behind |
| з-поза | from outside, from beyond |
N.B. These materials do not give an exhaustive presentation of the system of prepositions. If you are unsure as to their use or meaning, it is best to check in the online monoligual dictionary, which gives ample explanations and examples of use.
To practise understanding prepositions in context read the text below and do Exercise 16.5A and Exercise 16.5B.