(no subject)

[clownshoes.livejournal.com]

в vs на? I know that  на is supposed to be use as "on" and "with activities," but I'm not 100% sure what it means by "with activities." Could someone give me some clear-cut (simple sentence) examples?

Comments

[brocster.livejournal.com]

In general -- in other words, take the following as a "rule of thumb" and expect some exceptions -- use в to speak of location inside an object or enclosed area (including cities and countries... although they really aren't "enclosed") and нa to express either:

1) location on the surface of an object, or
2) location for an activity (note that English tends to use the preposition "at" in such instances).

For example:

Ребёнок игрaет в пaрке. -- The child is playing in the park. (enclosed area)
Я живу в Москве. -- I live in Moscow. (city)
Моя семья живёт в Америке. -- My family lives in America. (country)

Книгa лежит нa столе. -- The book is (lying) on the table. (horizontal surface)
Учитель пишет нa доске. -- The teacher is writing on the board. (vertical surface)
Я видел Анну нa концерте. -- I saw Anna at a/the concert. (activity)
Мы были в теaтре нa опере. -- We were in/at the theater (enclosed are) at an opera (activity).

Here are a few more examples of "activities":
нa фильме (at a film), нa собрaнии (at a meeting), нa лекции (at a lecture), нa выстaвке (at an exhibit)

Remember, though, that there are always exceptions (or, at least, instances where the rules just don't seem to fit all that well):

в университете (at the university) BUT нa почте (in/at the post office)
в школе (in/at school) BUT нa уроке/зaнятии(in class)


Finally, there's one other possibility for expressing location, and that's with the preposition у. This preposition is used mostly to indicate location at an individual's home or place of work:

Мы были вчерa у Сaши. -- We were at Sasha's (house) yesterday.
Мой брaт сейчaс у врaчa. -- My brother is at the doctor's (office) right now.


So, when translating English "at," be careful to distinguish between activites (at a movie, at a concert) -- using нa -- and people (at my friend's house, at the lawyer's office) -- using у.

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions.

- Andrew

[clownshoes.livejournal.com]

That helps wonderfully; thanks. I wish that the textbook was this clear on the matter.

[brocster.livejournal.com]

Prepositions are often one of the hardest parts of a language to "pin down" with any definitiveness. That's why I mentioned the "rule of thumb" part, since, at times, it might seem like you'll run into more exceptions to the rule than phrases that actually fit the rule! But that's also part of the fun! :-)

Maybe this will help clarify things even a bit more:

Онa в опере. -- She's in the opera. (i.e., a performer)
Онa нa опере. -- She's at the opera. (i.e., a spectator)

I guess you could qualify them both as an "activity," but it's the situations where you're the spectator (movie, concert, play, exhibit, lecture, etc.) that require the preposition нa in Russian.

- Andrew

[oryx_and_crake]

I have no idea about "with activities" either. I can give some examples of using both prepositions, hope it helps. Sometimes either can be used.

ехать в автобусе/на автобусе (to go by bus; the difference is that в автобусе refers more to one's physical position, and на автобусе refers to the means of transport, e.g. Где ты был, когда пошел дождь? Я ехал в автобусе. Where were you when it started to rain? I was going home in a bus. Как ты добрался до школы? Я поехал на автобусе. How did you get to school? I went by bus.)
в новом платье (in a new dress)
в этом доме (in this building)
в школе (at school OR in school building)
в пятницу (on Friday)
в первый раз (for the first time)
на обед (for dinner)
на улице (in the street)
на столе (on the table)

[zcube.livejournal.com]

>"with activities,

to play football — играть в футбол
to play computer games - играть в компьютерные игры...
?

[oryx_and_crake]

I think that by "with activities" they meant something like "я был на футболе" or "я ходил на лыжах".