Prepositional case facts

• Only case that NEVER occurs without a preposition.
• Historically, this was what was known as locative case, as it primarily describes location (on/at).
• All the other cases are governed by verbs and prepositions, but this is ONLY governed by prepositions.

Usage

• Following в (in/at) and на (on/at), при (rarely). so when they describe location, answering the question Где?
• Following о/об (about) (note: о becomes об if next word starts with vowel)
• Talking about time (in a certain month)
• With certain verbs (talk about, worry about, etc.)

Verbs that Take the Prepositional Case

• Думать о (to think about)
• Говорить о (to talk about)
• Мечтать о (to dream about)
• Беспокоится о (to worry about)
• Готовиться (к) - to prepare (for)
• Находиться на/в (to be located on/in)

How to Decline

Singular

Singular nouns: -е, -и, -мени (a handful of nouns), -у (few exceptions, mostly one syllable nouns)

1. е : most everything

2. и : fem nouns ending in -ь (replace ь with и ); any nouns ending in -ий, -ия, -ие (replace with ии )

3. мени : neuter nouns ending in мя (семя [seed] → се мени , время → вре мени )

4. у : few, usually 1-syllable nouns, only following на or в. У will always be stressed. Сад → В сад у

Put in another way:

1. Masculine nouns ending in a consonant: add е

   • Берег → берег е

2. Nouns ending а, я (regardless of gender), о, й (unless it’s ий), and masc nouns ending in ь: replace with е

• Папа → О Пап е

• Ваня → О Ван е

• Музей → в музе е

3. Fem nouns ending in ь: replace ь with и

• дверь → в двер и

4. Nouns ending in ий, ия, ие: replace with ии (note: -ий are mostly male names)

• Руссия → в Русс ии

• Юурий → О Юур ии

5. Some nouns, usually short, take у in the prepositional. only after на and В

• Сад → на сад у

• Лес → В лес у

• Дон (don river) → На Дон у

• Note that after О or other prepositional cases, they take the normal ending: О саде

Plural

Plural is simple: -ах (after hard consonant) or -ях (after soft consonant)