По го́роду
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Name common places and forms of transportation in a city.
- Use в/на plus the accusative case to say where you are going.
- Use в/на plus the prepositional case to say where something is located, recycling the system from Chapter 6.
- Use из/с plus the genitive case to say where you are coming from.
- Choose between идти́/ходи́ть and е́хать/е́здить to describe movement on foot or by transportation.
- Give simple directions and instructions using the imperative.
- Ask for and understand basic directions in a short exchange.
This chapter opens Unit III and introduces new grammar. It also continues to recycle home, routine, food, and shopping vocabulary from Unit II.
Communication Scenario
Anna is meeting a new friend, Sergéy, near the center of the city for the first time. He does not know the neighborhood well, so Anna needs to explain where things are, how to get there, and where she and other people are going or coming from during the day.
- You will learn the language needed to talk about places in a city and how people move between them.
- You will practice choosing в or на, and choosing the correct case, depending on whether you are describing a destination or a location.
- You will practice giving and understanding simple directions with imperative verb forms.
Core Vocabulary
The words below support the chapter's central function, getting around the city. Vocabulary from Chapters 1 through 10 remains fully productive.
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| го́род, у́лица, пло́щадь | city, street, square |
| вокза́л, аэропо́рт, остано́вка | train station, airport, stop |
| метро́, музе́й, теа́тр | metro, museum, theater |
| больни́ца, шко́ла, университе́т | hospital, school, university |
| мост, парк, це́нтр | bridge, park, center |
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| авто́бус, тролле́йбус, трамва́й | bus, trolleybus, tram |
| маши́на, такси́, по́езд | car, taxi, train |
| биле́т, ка́рта, доро́га | ticket, map, road |
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| напра́во, нале́во, пря́мо | to the right, to the left, straight ahead |
| близко́, далеко́, ря́дом | close, far, nearby |
| ско́лько вре́мени, ско́лько остано́вок | how much time, how many stops |
Every place noun in these lists appears in the Grammar and Sentence Patterns section with its accusative, prepositional, and genitive forms.
Pronunciation Focus
No new pronunciation system is introduced in this chapter. Two patterns from earlier chapters matter especially here, because prepositions and place names appear constantly in this unit.
- A one-syllable preposition such as в, на, из, or с normally joins the following word in pronunciation, with no pause between them, as in вго́род and наро́боту, said as one rhythmic unit.
- Continue reducing unstressed о and а, as in авто́бус and доро́га.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
в/на plus the Accusative Case New
Use в or на with the accusative case to say where someone or something is going.
- Мы идём в теа́тр сего́дня ве́чером.We are going to the theater tonight.в + accusative, destination
- Он идёт на пло́щадь.He is going to the square.на + accusative, destination
The same choice between в and на that you learned for location in Chapter 6 applies here for destination. If a place uses на for location, it uses на for destination as well.
в/на plus the Prepositional Case Review, Chapter 6
Use в or на with the prepositional case to say where something or someone is located, not where it is going.
- Музе́й в це́нтре го́рода.The museum is in the center of the city.в + prepositional, location
- Она́ рабо́тает на по́чте.She works at the post office.на + prepositional, location
Compare Я иду́ в шко́лу, I am going to school, with Я в шко́ле, I am at school. The preposition в stays the same, but the case changes, accusative for destination, prepositional for location. This same accusative and prepositional contrast controls every в/на phrase in this chapter.
из/с plus the Genitive Case New
Use из or с with the genitive case to say where someone or something is coming from.
- Мы е́дем из аэропо́рта.We are coming from the airport.из + genitive, source
- Он идёт с уро́ка.He is coming from class.с + genitive, source
идти́/ходи́ть and е́хать/е́здить New
Use идти́ and е́хать for movement in one direction right now, and ходи́ть and е́здить for repeated, habitual, or general movement.
- Я иду́ в магази́н сейча́с.I am going to the store right now.идти́, one direction, on foot, present moment
- Я ча́сто хожу́ в парк.I often go to the park.ходи́ть, habitual, on foot
- Она́ е́дет на рабо́ту.She is going to work (by transportation) right now.е́хать, one direction, by transportation
- Она́ ка́ждый день е́здит на рабо́ту на авто́бусе.She goes to work by bus every day.е́здить, habitual, by transportation
Choose идти́/ходи́ть for movement on foot, and е́хать/е́здить for movement by car, bus, train, or other transportation. This chapter activates only this basic on-foot versus by-transportation contrast. Prefixed motion verbs and figurative motion meanings are not active until later in the volume.
Imperatives New
Use the imperative to give simple directions and instructions.
- Иди́те пря́мо, пото́м напра́во.Go straight, then to the right.и́дите, plural/polite imperative
- Скажи́те, пожа́луйста, где остано́вка.Please tell me where the stop is.скажи́те, plural/polite imperative, polite request frame
- Не переходи́ у́лицу здесь.Do not cross the street here.не + imperative, negative instruction
This chapter activates only the common, high-frequency imperative forms needed for directions and polite requests. A fuller productive imperative system is not required at this stage.
Model Dialogue: На остано́вке
Context: Sergéy is near a bus stop and asks Anna for directions to the museum.
Notice how the dialogue moves between destination, в/на plus accusative, location, в/на plus prepositional, and source, из/с plus genitive, within a few lines.
Listening Practice
If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text to speech tool to read the passage below aloud, or read it aloud to yourself slowly.
- How does Irina get from home to the metro stop?
- Where is Irina's office located?
- Why does Irina walk home in the evening?
Speaking Practice
Управля́емая пра́ктика — Controlled practice: destination or location
With a partner, take turns saying a place name and having the other person produce both the destination phrase, в/на plus accusative, and the location phrase, в/на plus prepositional, for that place.
Коммуникати́вное зада́ние — Communicative task: giving directions
With a partner, take turns asking how to get from the classroom or your current location to a nearby place, such as a store, park, or station. Give directions using at least two imperative forms and one preposition of location or destination.
Самостоя́тельная пра́ктика — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing how you get to three places you regularly visit, saying whether you go there on foot or by transportation, and whether you go there often or right now.
Reading Practice
Мой путь на рабо́ту — My route to work
Меня́ зову́т Дми́трий. Я живу́ недалеко́ от це́нтра го́рода. Ка́ждое у́тро я выхожу́ из до́ма в во́семь часо́в и иду́ пешко́м до остано́вки. Остано́вка нахо́дится ря́дом с апте́кой. Отту́да я е́ду на авто́бусе до университе́та, где я рабо́таю. Доро́га до университе́та занима́ет два́дцать мину́т. По́сле рабо́ты я иногда́ иду́ в магази́н, а иногда́ е́ду пря́мо домо́й на метро́. Мне нра́вится ходи́ть пешко́м, когда́ пого́да хоро́шая, но зимо́й я обы́чно е́зжу на авто́бусе и́ли на метро́.
Зада́ние по чте́нию — Reading task:
- How does Dmitry get from home to the bus stop?
- How long does the trip to the university take?
- What does Dmitry do differently in winter, and why?
Writing Workshop
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order. This workshop applies the new grammar from this chapter, в/на plus accusative, в/на plus prepositional, из/с plus genitive, идти́/ходи́ть, е́хать/е́здить, and imperatives.
Зада́ние 1 — Complete the sentence: Choose the correct form to complete each sentence.
Зада́ние 2 — A trip across the city: Write eight to ten sentences describing a trip you take regularly, including where you are going, how you get there, where you are coming from at the end, and at least one instruction or direction you might give someone else.
- Review the Core Vocabulary tables above. Confirm the gender and case behavior of any place noun you plan to use.
- Plan your route. Decide on a starting point, a destination, and how you travel between them.
- Draft your description. Include at least one в/на plus accusative phrase, one в/на plus prepositional phrase, one из/с plus genitive phrase, one idти́/ходи́ть or е́хать/е́здить choice, and one imperative.
- Read your description aloud once. Listen for correct preposition and noun rhythm.
- Check each system against the Grammar and Sentence Patterns section. Confirm every case ending after every preposition.
Спи́сок прове́рки — Editing checklist:
- в/на plus accusative is used correctly for destination.
- в/на plus prepositional is used correctly for location.
- из/с plus genitive is used correctly for source.
- идти́/ходи́ть or е́хать/е́здить is chosen correctly for on-foot versus transportation movement.
- At least one imperative is formed correctly.
- Vocabulary and grammar from Chapters 1 through 10 are used correctly where they appear.
Culture and Communication
The transportation options in this chapter, metro, bus, tram, trolleybus, and walking, are common in many cities, but the balance among them differs widely across Russian-speaking communities. A city's size, geography, and public transportation network all shape how people typically get around, and no single pattern represents every Russian-speaking place.
The polite request frames used in the Model Dialogue, such as Извини́те, скажи́те, пожа́луйста, are widely useful, but the exact phrasing that feels most natural can vary by speaker, setting, and region. Listen for how people around you phrase similar requests, and adapt accordingly.
Common Mistakes
Error: Saying Я иду́ в магази́не instead of Я иду́ в магази́н.
Correction: A verb of motion toward a destination requires the accusative case after в or на, not the prepositional case: иду́ в магази́н, not иду́ в магази́не. The prepositional case is used only for location, not destination.
Error: Saying Я иду́ из рабо́ты instead of Я иду́ с рабо́ты.
Correction: A place that pairs with на for location or destination pairs with с for source, not из: с рабо́ты, not из рабо́ты. A place that pairs with в pairs with из: из магази́на.
Error: Saying Я иду́ на рабо́ту на авто́бусе instead of Я е́ду на рабо́ту на авто́бусе.
Correction: Use е́хать, not идти́, when movement happens by transportation, even when the destination phrase stays the same: е́ду на авто́бусе, not иду́ на авто́бусе.
Chapter Review
в/на plus accusative
Says where someone or something is going.
в/на plus prepositional
Says where someone or something is located, recycled from Chapter 6.
из/с plus genitive
Says where someone or something is coming from.
идти́/ходи́ть, е́хать/е́здить
Distinguishes on-foot movement from movement by transportation, and one-direction from habitual movement.
Imperatives
Gives simple directions, instructions, and polite requests.
Часть A — Понима́ние (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- How does Anna suggest getting to the museum?
- Where is Anna coming from, and where is she going?
Часть B — Пи́сьменная речь (Writing)
1. Write three sentences describing where you are going right now, using в or на plus the accusative case.
2. Give the accusative singular, prepositional singular, and genitive singular forms of шко́ла and парк.
Часть C — Чте́ние (Reading)
1. Return to the reading passage about Dmitry, and list every stage of his route to work, in order.
Часть D — Говоре́ние (Speaking)
1. With a partner, give directions from your classroom to a place nearby, using at least two imperative forms.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 11 Practical Task
Как туда́ попа́сть: How to Get There
Complete the following connected tasks, in order, applying the new grammar from this chapter along with recycled material from Chapters 1 through 10.
- Read the Model Dialogue and the reading passage about Dmitry. Answer the comprehension questions above before continuing.
- Describe where you are going right now. Use в or на plus the accusative case.
- Describe where a nearby place is located. Use в or на plus the prepositional case.
- Describe where you are coming from. Use из or с plus the genitive case.
- Say whether your movement is on foot or by transportation, and whether it is happening now or habitually. Choose correctly among идти́, ходи́ть, е́хать, and е́здить.
- Give directions to a place from your current location. Use at least two imperative forms.
- Write your eight to ten sentence description from the Writing Workshop. Apply the editing checklist.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Destination accuracy | The learner uses в/на plus the accusative case correctly to describe a destination. |
| Location accuracy | The learner uses в/на plus the prepositional case correctly to describe a location. |
| Source accuracy | The learner uses из/с plus the genitive case correctly to describe a source. |
| Motion verb choice | The learner chooses correctly among идти́, ходи́ть, е́хать, and е́здить. |
| Imperative accuracy | The learner forms at least two imperatives correctly for directions or requests. |
| Connected performance | The learner moves smoothly between destination, location, and source language within one coherent description. |
This task builds on the systems activated in this chapter. Only material from Chapters 1 through 11 is required.
Answer Key
Listening — Comprehension
- Irina walks from home to the metro stop, since it is close.
- Irina's office is located on the square, next to the museum.
- Irina walks home in the evening because the weather is good.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Anna suggests walking straight to the square and then turning right, though the bus also goes there.
- Anna is coming from work and is going home, but she stops first to show Sergey the way.
Writing
- 1. в магази́н. 2. на столе́. 3. из аэропо́рта. 4. идёт. 5. Иди́те.
- Sample answer: Ка́ждое у́тро я иду́ на остано́вку. Остано́вка ря́дом с апте́кой. Я е́ду на авто́бусе до це́нтра. В це́нтре есть большо́й парк. По́сле рабо́ты я иду́ с рабо́ты домо́й пешко́м. Иногда́ я захожу́ в магази́н по доро́ге. Е́сли вы хоти́те пойти́ туда́ то́же, иди́те пря́мо до пло́щади, пото́м напра́во. Остано́вка нахо́дится сле́ва от апте́ки. Other combinations using material from Chapters 1 through 11 are also correct.
- шко́ла → в шко́лу (accusative), в шко́ле (prepositional), из шко́лы (genitive). парк → в парк (accusative), в па́рке (prepositional), из па́рка (genitive).
Reading
- Dmitry walks from home to the bus stop, which is next to the pharmacy.
- The trip to the university takes twenty minutes.
- In winter, Dmitry usually takes the bus or the metro instead of walking, because of the weather.
Looking Ahead
Что вы уже уме́ете — What you can do now
You can name city places and forms of transportation, say where you are going and where you are located, say where you are coming from, choose correctly between on-foot and transportation motion verbs, and give simple directions and instructions.