What are object prepositions in Russian?

Object prepositions in Russian are small function words that are used to introduce a noun that is not a direct object of the verb, but that is still essential to the meaning of an action, an object, or a feeling in a similar way.

• прочитать про преступление

  Transcription: pracheeTAT pra pristooPLYEniye

  Translation: to read about crime
• замки из песка

  Transcription: ZAMki is pisKA

  Translation: sand castles

  Literally: lit. castles of sand
• Он превратился в вампира.

  Transcription: on privraTEELsya v vamPEEra

  Translation: He turned into a vampire.

In this post, we’ll introduce you to the different kinds of object prepositions in Russian and take you through the most important ones you’ll need to use. Ready to learn? Let’s go!

Object prepositions in Russian are used to introduce a noun that is essential to an action, object, or feeling. These nouns can describe, for example:

• what something is “about” (its topic)

  Говорить о погоде

  Transcription: gavaREET a paGOdye

  Translation: to speak about the weather

• what something is “made of” or “turns into”

  суп из овощей

  Transcription: soop is avaSHCHYEY

  Translation: vegetable soup

  Literally: lit. soup of vegetables

  Небольшой дождь перешёл в ливень.

  Transcription: nibalSHOY dosht piriSHOL v LEEvin

  Translation: Light rain turned into downpour.

• the cause of a feeling or emotion

  Тоскавать по дому

  Transcription: taskaVAT pa DOmoo

  Translation: homesick

  Literally: lit. be sick for home

• another noun (like a tool) that was required for the action

  играть на гитаре

  Transcription: igRAT na giTArye

  Translation: to play (on) a guitar

The most important object prepositions in Russian are:

• о (transcribed a, meaning “about”) – with variants: об (transcribed ab) or обо (transcribed Aba)

• насчёт (transcribed naSHCHYOT, meaning “about”)

• про (transcribed pra, meaning “about”)

• над (transcribed nad, meaning “on, at, against...”)

• на (transcribed na, meaning “on”)

• в (transcribed v, meaning “into, at, in”)

• из (transcribed is, meaning “of”)

• по (transcribed pa)

Let’s go through each preposition one-by-one!

• о (об / обо)

  The most frequent object preposition is о (transcribed o, meaning “about”). After this preposition, use the prepositional case.

  • Мы часто говорим о работе с друзьями.

    Transcription: my CHASta gavaREEM a raBOtye s droozYAmi

    Translation: We often talk about work with friends.
  • О чём вы часто беспокоитесь?

    Transcription: a chyom vy CHASta bispaKOitis

    Translation: What do you often worry about?
  • Я уже год мечтаю об отпуске.

    Transcription: Ya ooZHE got michTAyu ab OTpooskye

    Translation: I've been dreaming about vacation for a year now.
  • Он написал книгу обо всех своих путешествиях.

    Transcription: on napiSAL KNEEgoo Aba fsyekh svaEEKH pootiSHEStviyakh

    Translation: He wrote a book about all his travels.

• насчёт

  The object preposition насчёт (transcribed naSHCHYOT, meaning “about/regarding”) also expresses the meaning “about,” but is used in conjunction with nouns in the genitive case. For example:

  • На встрече партнёры договорились насчёт строительства нового здания.

    Transcription: na FSTRYEchi parTNYOry dagavaREElis naSHCHYOT straEEtilstva NOvava ZDAniya

    Translation: At the meeting, the partners agreed on the construction of a new building.
  • Он ничего не сказал насчёт новой работы.

    Transcription: on nichiVO ni skaZAL naSHCHYOT NOvay raBOty

    Translation: He didn't say anything about a new job.

• про

  The object preposition про (transcribed pra, meaning “about”) is a colloquial synonym to the preposition о (transcribed o) but you need to use the accusative case after it. For example:

  • Она рассказала всё про вас.

    Transcription: aNA raskaZAla fsyo pra vas

    Translation: She told everything about you.
  • Он пишет детские истории про животных.

    Transcription: on PEEshet DYETskiye KNEEgi pra zhyVOTnykh

    Translation: He writes children's stories about animals.

• над

  The object preposition над (transcribed nad, meaning “on/at”) is used in combination with verbs like:

  • работать (transcribed raBOtat, meaning “to work (on)”)

  • смеяться (transcribed smiYATsya, meaning “to laugh (at, about)”)

  It is also used with nouns like:

  • победа (transcribed paBYEda, meaning “victory (over)”)

  • работа (transcribed raBOta, meaning “work (on)”)

  The noun after над indicates the direction or focus of the corresponding action on some object. It takes an instrumental case. For example:

  Величайшая победа — победа над самим собой.

  Transcription: viliCHAYshaya paBYEda - paBYEda nad saMEEM saBO

  Translation: The greatest victory is victory over yourself.

• по

  The preposition по (transcribed pa, meaning “of, for...”) indicates a person or a thing that one is thinking about, misses, or mourns. The object preposition по (transcribed pa) does not have a single consistent translation into English, but it always comes before a noun in the dative case.

  Broadly, по (transcribed pa) introduces a noun that provides some intellectual "direction" to an action, feeling, or thought. For example, this can be the source of a feeling, the intellectual goal of an action, the means by which an action was completed, or something that otherwise guides motion or thought. You'll probably have to learn when exactly to use по (transcribed pa) through lots of practice, but here are some examples of how this preposition can be used:

  Он очень скорбит по отцу.

  Transcription: on Ochin skarBEET pa aTSOO

  Translation: He is very sad for (lit. mourns) his father.

  recipient of a feeling

  Мама погладила своего сына по голове.

  Transcription: MAma paGLAdila svaiVO SYna pa galaVYE

  Translation: Mom patted her son’s head (lit. on the head).

  direction or receiving location of the pat

  играть по правилам

  Transcription: igRAT pa PRAvilam

  Translation: to play by the rules

  intellectual guide, “in accordance with”

  работать по расписанию

  Transcription: raBOtat pa raspiSAniyu

  Translation: to work according to a schedule

  intellectual guide, “in accordance with”

  узнать по походке

  Transcription: oozNAT pa paKHOTki

  Translation: to recognize by the way one walks

  the source, reason, or guide of action

  жениться по любви / по расчету

  Transcription: zhyNEEtsya pa lyubVEE / pa raSHCHYOtoo

  Translation: to marry for love / for money

  the source, reason, or guide of action

  говорить по телефону

  Transcription: gavaREET pa tiliFOnoo

  Translation: to speak over/via/on the phone

  by means of, the path through which…

  ехать по навигатору

  Transcription: YEkhat pa naviGAtaroo

  Translation: to drive following the GPS

  intellectual guide, “in accordance with”

  занятия по биологии

  Transcription: zaNYAtiya pa biaLOgii

  Translation: biology classes

  area of expertise, focus

  чемпион по плаванию

  Transcription: chimpiON pa PLAvaniyu

  Translation: champion in swimming

  area of expertise, focus

• на

  The preposition на (transcribed na, meaning “on, using”) as object preposition has the meaning of a tool used to accomplish an action. It takes the prepositional case after and does not have a direct translation into English. For example:

  Джими Хендрикс играл на гитаре левой рукой.

  Transcription: DZEEmi HYENDriks igRAL na giTArye LYEvay rooKOY

  Translation: Jimi Hendrix played the guitar with his left hand.

• в

  In Russian, to define the state the object acquires we use the preposition в (transcribed v, meaning “into”), it takes the accusative case after. For example:

  Спор между друзьями перерос в драку.

  Transcription: Spor MYEZHdoo droozYAmi pyereROS v DRAkoo

  Translation: A dispute between friends escalated (lit. grew ) into a fight.

• из

  The prepositionиз (transcribed is, meaning “of/from”) is used as object preposition that describes the material, source, total number, or makeup of things. It is more used after nouns and participles than after verbs.

  • Material

    Бутылки, сделанные из пластика, вредят окружающей среде.

    Transcription: booTYLki ZDYElanniye is PLAStika vriDYAT akrooZHAyushchyei sriDYE

    Translation: Bottles made of plastic are harmful to the environment.
  • Source

    О теракте в городе они узнали из новостей.

    Transcription: A tiRAKtye v GOradye aNEE oozNAli iz navaSTYEY

    Translation: They learned about the terrorist attack in the city from the news.
  • Number

    Делегация из 25 человек прибыла на конференцию.

    Transcription: diliGAtsiya is 25 (dvatsaTEE pyaTEE) chilaVYEK pribyLA na kanfiRYENtsiyu

    Translation: A delegation of 25 people arrived at the conference.
  • Makeup

    Он подарил невесте букет из роз.

    Transcription: on padaREEL niVYEStye booKYET iz ros

    Translation: He gave the bride a bouquet of roses.

In this post we talked about how you can use object prepositions to introduce a noun that is essential to the meaning of a verb or noun in Russian. Here are some of the important takeaways:

• Nouns introduced by object prepositions generally describe:

  • what something is “about” (its topic)

  • what something is “made of” or “turns into”

  • the cause of a feeling or emotion

  • another object (like a tool) that was required for the action

• The most important object prepositions in Russian are:

  • о (transcribed a, meaning “about”) – with variants: об (transcribed ab) or обо (transcribed Aba)

  • насчёт (transcribed naSHCHYOT, meaning “about”)

  • про (transcribed pra, meaning “about”)

  • над (transcribed nad, meaning “on, at, against...”)

  • на (transcribed na, meaning “on”)

  • в (transcribed v, meaning “into, at, in”)

  • из (transcribed is, meaning “of”)

  • по (transcribed pa)

Now you’re ready to try some exercises to practice Russian object prepositions! Or, check out this downloadable Russian object preposition reference sheet!