Prepositions for location/direction

[loudasthesun.livejournal.com]

Hi,

I'm just barely starting to learn Russian, and I'm confused about the use of в/на and when to use which.

My textbook says that to state directionality (Я иду...) one uses [в/на + accusative]. Some nouns (usually "places") take в, and some nouns take на (usually "events"). There are exceptions, such as на почту. I understand this--you say "Я иду в парк", but "Я иду на стадион".

My question is... does this distinction between в/на apply to these nouns in other cases? For example, my textbook previously covered expressing location, where you use [в + prepositional], but never mentioned anything about [на + prepositional], so would these be right?

I am at the park - Я в парке
My dad works at the post office - Мой отец работает на почте
I am at a concert - Я на концерте
I am in class - Я на занятии
My mom is at work - Моя мать на работе

If I'm understanding the use of в/на + accusative/prepositional, then those above sentences should be okay. If not, can someone explain why?

Comments

[oryx_and_crake]

Yes, your sentences are OK.

[mr-uef.livejournal.com]

Never gave much thought to such interrelations, but you seem to have a point here.
Your sentences are just fine.

[loudasthesun.livejournal.com]

Thanks! One more quick question, if you don't mind. My book explains the difference between "Я иду..." and "Я еду..." as a difference of a trip on foot/by walking and a trip that requires a vehicle/car/plane. They give examples like... "Я иду в парк" and "Я иду в университет" but "Я еду в Россию" and "Я еду в Иркутск".

What if (in my case) I do need to take a car in order to go to the park or university (because it's not a walking distance)... would saying "Я еду в парк" be weird? What if... for some reason, you were walking all the way from Moscow to Irkutsk? Would you say "Я иду в Иркутск"?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[loudasthesun.livejournal.com]

Haha, from my experience you learn the most about your native language from non-native speakers who are trying to learn it!

Thanks!

[oryx_and_crake]

Your examples are correct - Я еду в парк is fine if you go by car and Я иду в Иркутск is OK if you are walking.

[tintagil.livejournal.com]

Yes, if you want to stress the fact that you will drive to the park or take a bus, you'll say "Я еду в парк". And if you are walking from Moscow to Irkutsk.. it is surely a significant fact, which you will indicate by using "Я иду" and most probably emphasize by "пешком".

[mr-uef.livejournal.com]

True, but when I'm explaining to my 5yr-old son the meaning of new (to him) Russian words I also try to give him a reasonable amount of etimology )

[grokinn.livejournal.com]

http://booference.pochta.ru/styli_xlv.html#sect199

[loudasthesun.livejournal.com]

If I could read and understand that I wouldn't have asked this question. =[

[chiyo-no-saru.livejournal.com]

If a noun takes в or на, it'll take that same preposition whether you're talking location or direction-towards.

I hope that helps :)

[philena.livejournal.com]

One girl in my Russian class is doing a hike-by-foot trip to Alaska this summer, so she used иду, and specified that it was by foot. The professor said that even if you literally are walking the entire way, the distance is just too long to use иду, and you'd have to say еду. Was he wrong, or is this just some stylistic disagreement?

[oryx_and_crake]

That's nonsense. If you are physically walking, you cannot say anything other than иду. The distance has nothing to do with that.

[loudasthesun.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That's a good succinct way of putting it! Are there any other uses of в or на?

[loudasthesun.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[loudasthesun.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm guessing this means 'fly'?

And would this be conjugated летаю, летаешь, летает, летаем, летаете, летают?

[oryx_and_crake]

I second that. In case of a long distance, the only verb that can replace идти is путешествовать (to travel). You can use that verb with indicating the vehicle or means of transportation, i.e. путешествовать пешком, на машине, на велосипеде. But ехать is strictly for using a vehicle or some other means of transportation (horse, dogsled etc.)

[windy-corner.livejournal.com]

Yes. If you refer to a building you use 'В', and if you'er talking about the event that is taking place somewhere or other you use 'на':

В театре на балете
В классе на уроке
В аудитории на лекции

There's also aome correlation between prepositions used for opposite direction: в - из, на- с, к - от.

В театр на спектакль - из теара со спектакля
на почту - с почты
к столу - от стола