Prepositions · Lesson 1
Где / куда
Location vs motion
в and на take two different cases. Prepositional answers «where?» (location). Accusative answers «where to?» (motion toward).
How it works
в and на take two different cases. Prepositional answers «where?» (location). Accusative answers «where to?» (motion toward).
Then open Tables, Notes, Exceptions, and Examples in that order.
When to use it
- Где? — location, no movement into the place: Я в парке. Книга на столе.
- Куда? — motion toward / onto: Я иду в парк. Кладу книгу на стол.
- The preposition stays the same (в or на). Only the case of the noun changes.
- Откуда? (where from) uses a different preposition: из or с — that is lesson 4.
Pro tip
First choose в or на (lesson 2). Then ask где or куда. Location = prepositional. Toward = accusative. The preposition does not switch for that contrast.