Где, куда́ и отку́да
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Explain where a person or thing is located, using в or на with the prepositional case.
- Explain where a person or thing is going, using в or на with the accusative case, and distinguish this pattern clearly from the location pattern above.
- Explain where a person or thing came from, using из or с with the genitive case, and connect this pattern to the destination it reverses.
- Choose correctly among в, на, из, and с according to the noun involved, not according to a single English translation.
- Ask and answer practical questions about city locations, errands, and everyday movement around town.
- Read and write a short connected account of a day spent moving between several places.
This chapter expands a system you began in Volume I. It does not introduce a new case or a new preposition family. Instead, it brings location, destination, and source together so that you can use all three with confidence and speed, using only cases and prepositions already active in your Russian.
Communication Scenario
Тама́ра, the new student from Chapter 1, is settling into life near the language center. Her neighbor, Серге́й, offers to show her around the neighborhood on a Saturday, and the two of them plan a route that takes them from the dormitory to the market, from the market to the post office, and finally back home by way of the park. As they plan, they talk constantly about where things are, where they are headed next, and where they have just come from.
- You will describe where several places are located, in relation to the city center and to each other.
- You will plan a short route around town, saying clearly where you are going and where you are coming from at each stage.
- You will read and listen to short accounts of other people's errands, tracking their movement through the city.
Core Vocabulary
The nouns below name places you will locate, travel to, and travel from throughout this chapter. Each entry gives the nominative singular, stress, gender, and the case pattern the noun typically takes after в or на, so that you always know which case to expect.
| Russian | Meaning | Gender | Location pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| го́род | city, town | masculine | в го́роде |
| це́нтр | center, downtown | masculine | в це́нтре |
| у́лица | street | feminine | на у́лице |
| ры́нок | market | masculine | на ры́нке |
| по́чта | post office | feminine | на по́чте |
| парк | park | masculine | в па́рке |
| апте́ка | pharmacy | feminine | в апте́ке |
| магази́н | store, shop | masculine | в магази́не |
| общежи́тие | dormitory | neuter | в общежи́тии |
| вокза́л | train station | masculine | на вокза́ле |
| остано́вка | bus or tram stop | feminine | на остано́вке |
| сосе́дний райо́н | the neighboring district | masculine | в сосе́днем райо́не |
The verbs below carry the movement of this chapter. Each entry gives the infinitive, stress, aspect, and a reminder of the case each destination or source phrase will take.
| Russian | Meaning | Aspect | Typical pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| находи́ться (нахо́дится) | to be located | imperfective | + prepositional (в/на + где) |
| идти́ / ходи́ть | to go, on foot | imperfective | + accusative (в/на + куда́) |
| заходи́ть / зайти́ | to stop in, briefly | imperfective / perfective | + accusative (в/на + куда́) |
| приходи́ть / прийти́ | to arrive, on foot | imperfective / perfective | + genitive (из/с + отку́да) |
| купи́ть | to buy | perfective | + accusative direct object |
| отпра́вить | to send | perfective | + accusative direct object |
Every noun in these tables continues to carry the stress, gender, and case information required by the Russian master instructions. Review nominative, genitive, and prepositional endings from Volume I if any form above feels unfamiliar, since this chapter builds on those endings rather than replacing them.
Pronunciation Focus
In connected speech, a short preposition such as в, на, из, or с loses its own stress and leans on the noun that follows, forming a single rhythmic unit. This pattern was introduced in Volume I and continues to matter here, since this chapter uses these four prepositions constantly.
- Practice saying в го́роде, на у́лице, из до́ма, and с рабо́ты as single rhythmic units, with no pause and no separate stress on the preposition.
- Notice that с before a voiceless consonant, as in с по́чты, devoices naturally, while с before a voiced consonant, as in с вокза́ла, does not.
- Notice that в and с may add a helping vowel before certain consonant clusters, as in во вто́рник, so that the phrase remains pronounceable.
- Read the Model Dialogue below aloud once, paying attention to where each preposition attaches to its noun without a separate beat of stress.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This section brings together three patterns you have already met separately in Volume I, so that you can move between them quickly and accurately in one conversation.
Где — Location, with в/на and the prepositional case
- Ры́нок нахо́дится на у́лице Пу́шкина, ря́дом с апте́кой.The market is located on Pushkin Street, next to the pharmacy.на + prepositional
- Тама́ра сейча́с в общежи́тии, а Серге́й на остано́вке.Tamara is now in the dormitory, and Sergei is at the bus stop.в/на + prepositional, zero copula
Куда́ — Destination, with в/на and the accusative case
- Тама́ра идёт на по́чту, потому́ что ей ну́жно отпра́вить письмо́.Tamara is going to the post office, because she needs to send a letter.на + accusative destination
- Ве́чером мы пойдём в парк, е́сли бу́дет хоро́шая пого́да.In the evening we will go to the park, if the weather is good.в + accusative destination
Compare the prepositional and accusative pairs above carefully. The preposition stays the same, в or на, but the case ending on the noun changes, and that ending alone signals location versus destination.
Отку́да — Source, with из/с and the genitive case
- Э́то письмо́ пришло́ из Каза́ни, от ба́бушки Серге́я.This letter came from Kazan, from Sergei's grandmother.из + genitive source
- Мы то́лько что верну́лись с вокза́ла, где встреча́ли друзе́й.We have just returned from the train station, where we were meeting friends.с + genitive source
A noun that takes на for location and destination, such as ры́нок or по́чта, must take с for source, not из. A noun that takes в, such as общежи́тие or парк, must take из for source. This pairing is a property of the noun, not a free choice, and it does not translate directly from English "from," which does not distinguish these two Russian patterns.
Пра́ктика — Practice: Complete each sentence with the correct preposition and case ending, choosing among в, на, из, and с according to the noun and the question being answered, где, куда́, or отку́да.
- Ры́нок нахо́дится ___ (у́лица) Пу́шкина.
- По́сле заня́тий Тама́ра идёт ___ (по́чта).
- Серге́й то́лько что верну́лся ___ (рабо́та).
- Ве́чером мы пойдём ___ (парк), е́сли не бу́дет дождя́.
- Э́то письмо́ пришло́ ___ (Москва́).
Model Dialogue: Где, куда́ и отку́да
Context: On Saturday morning, Тама́ра and Серге́й meet outside the dormitory to plan their route around the neighborhood.
Notice how the dialogue moves constantly between где, куда́, and отку́да, using the same nouns in three different case patterns depending on the question being answered.
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, paying attention to the preposition and case pattern in each sentence.
- List, in order, the places Irina visits during the day.
- Where is the store located, and where does Irina go directly from there?
- Why does Irina go to the pharmacy, and why does she go to the park afterward?
- What does Irina plan to do tomorrow, and where?
Speaking Practice
Управля́емая пра́ктика — Controlled practice: three questions, one noun
Working alone or with a partner, choose five places from the Core Vocabulary table, and for each place, form three sentences, one answering где, one answering куда́, and one answering отку́да. Say all three sentences aloud before moving to the next place.
Коммуникати́вное зада́ние — Communicative task: plan a route
With a partner, plan a Saturday route through your own town or a town you know well, visiting at least four places. Take turns describing where each place is located, why you are going there, and where you are coming from at each stage of the route.
Самостоя́тельная пра́ктика — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing a route through a familiar neighborhood, moving through at least four places, and using где, куда́, and отку́да patterns naturally, as though you were explaining your plans to a friend.
Reading Practice
Суббо́та в го́роде — A Saturday in the city
В суббо́ту у́тром Дми́трий вы́шел из до́ма ра́но, потому́ что у него́ бы́ло мно́го дел. Снача́ла он пошёл на ры́нок, кото́рый нахо́дится на у́лице Че́хова, недалеко́ от его́ до́ма. Там он купи́л фру́кты и хлеб. С ры́нка он пое́хал на авто́бусе в це́нтр, где нахо́дится большо́й кни́жный магази́н. В магази́не он купи́л не́сколько книг для рабо́ты. Пото́м он реши́л зайти́ на по́чту, кото́рая нахо́дится ря́дом с магази́ном, что́бы отпра́вить посы́лку роди́телям. По́сле по́чты Дми́трий пошёл в парк, кото́рый нахо́дится недалеко́ от вокза́ла, что́бы немно́го погуля́ть и отдохну́ть от дел. К ве́черу он верну́лся домо́й, дово́льный тем, как прошёл день.
Зада́ние по чте́нию — Reading task:
- List, in order, the places Dmitry visits, and identify whether each mention answers где, куда́, or отку́да.
- What does Dmitry buy at the market, and what does he buy at the bookstore?
- Why does Dmitry go to the post office, and where is it located in relation to the bookstore?
- Find two sentences that use the accusative case for destination, and two that use the prepositional case for location.
Writing Workshop
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order. This workshop asks you to describe your own movement through a familiar place, using где, куда́, and отку́да patterns accurately and in a connected order.
Зада́ние 1 — Route outline: Before writing, list at least four places you will mention, noting for each one whether в or на governs it, and jotting a short phrase in Russian for why you are going there.
Зада́ние 2 — Мой день в го́роде: Write a connected account of at least eight to ten sentences, describing a day spent moving between four or more places. Use в or на with the prepositional case for at least two locations, в or на with the accusative case for at least two destinations, and из or с with the genitive case for at least two sources.
- Review the Grammar and Sentence Patterns section above. Confirm which case follows в or на for location, which for destination, and which preposition and case describe source.
- Complete your route outline. Choose real or imagined places you can describe clearly.
- Draft your account in order. Move through your day place by place, connecting each stage with a word such as пото́м, снача́ла, or по́сле того́ как.
- Read your draft aloud once. Listen for the preposition and noun forming one rhythmic unit, as practiced in the Pronunciation Focus section.
- Check every в, на, из, and с against its noun. Confirm that each preposition matches the case ending you have written, and that the case matches где, куда́, or отку́да.
Спи́сок прове́рки — Final editing checklist:
- The account moves through at least four places in a clear order.
- At least two sentences use в or на with the prepositional case for location.
- At least two sentences use в or на with the accusative case for destination.
- At least two sentences use из or с with the genitive case for source.
- Cyrillic, stress where genuinely needed, and `ё` are used correctly throughout.
- Connectors such as пото́м, снача́ла, and по́сле того́ как link the stages of the account.
- Punctuation, capitalization, and spelling rules follow Russian conventions.
Culture and Communication
In many Russian-speaking cities and towns, daily errands such as visiting a market, a post office, or a pharmacy are often described casually in terms of walking distance and nearby landmarks, rather than exact addresses. Phrases such as недалеко́ от, ря́дом с, and мину́т де́сять пешко́м are common, practical ways of giving directions among neighbors, and they vary by city, neighborhood, and personal habit rather than following one fixed national pattern.
The adverbs здесь and там describe where something is, while сюда́ and туда́ describe destination, and отсю́да and отту́да describe source, matching the где, куда́, and отку́да system you are building with nouns in this chapter. These adverbs let you refer back to a place already mentioned, without repeating the noun, as Серге́й does in the Model Dialogue when he says иду́ отсю́да пря́мо на ры́нок.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Writing Я иду́ в магази́не when describing movement toward the store, using the prepositional case instead of the accusative case.
Correction: Use the accusative case for destination after a motion verb: Я иду́ в магази́н. Reserve the prepositional case, в магази́не, for describing where something is located or where an activity is taking place.
Error: Writing Я иду́ из по́чты for a noun that takes на, when с is required to reverse на.
Correction: Match the source preposition to the destination preposition already established for that noun: на по́чту reverses to с по́чты, while в апте́ку reverses to из апте́ки.
Error: Repeating a full place name in every sentence, such as Я иду́ на ры́нок. На ры́нке я куплю́ фру́кты., when the place has already been established.
Correction: Use там, туда́, здесь, сюда́, отсю́да, and отту́да to refer back to an already established place, keeping the account natural: Я иду́ на ры́нок. Там я куплю́ фру́кты.
Chapter Review
Где — location
в or на with the prepositional case, describing where a person, place, or thing is.
Куда́ — destination
в or на with the accusative case, describing where a person or thing is going.
Отку́да — source
из or с with the genitive case, describing where a person or thing came from, matched to the same preposition family used for destination.
Adverbs of place
здесь/там, сюда́/туда́, and отсю́да/отту́да, used to refer back to an established location without repeating the noun.
Listening
Follow a connected account of errands around town, tracking location, destination, and source.
Speaking
Plan and describe a route through a neighborhood, using где, куда́, and отку́да naturally.
Reading
Interpret a personal narrative that moves through several places in a clear order.
Writing
Compose a connected account of a day in the city, applying all three case patterns accurately.
Часть A — Понима́ние (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- Where is the market located, and where do Тама́ра and Серге́й plan to go after it?
- Where has Серге́й just come from when the dialogue begins?
Часть B — Пи́сьменная речь (Writing)
1. Write one sentence describing where a place is located, using в or на with the prepositional case.
2. Write one sentence describing where you are going, using в or на with the accusative case.
3. Write one sentence describing where you have just come from, using из or с with the genitive case.
Часть C — Чте́ние (Reading)
1. Return to Дми́трий's Saturday, and summarize his route in three of your own sentences in English.
Часть D — Говоре́ние (Speaking)
1. With a partner, or on your own, describe a short route through a place you know well, naming at least three stops.
Practical Performance Task: План на суббо́ту
Chapter 2 Practical Task
Пла́ны на суббо́ту: маршру́т по го́роду
Complete the following connected tasks, in order. This task collects evidence of your control of где, куда́, and отку́да in one connected performance, drawing only on vocabulary and grammar active in this chapter and recycled from Volume I.
- Complete your route outline. Use the five prompts from the Writing Workshop above.
- Plan your route with a partner, or plan it alone. Agree on at least four stops and the order in which you will visit them.
- Describe your route aloud, at least one minute long. Use где, куда́, and отку́да patterns for each stop, and connect the stages with пото́м, снача́ла, or по́сле того́ как.
- Answer at least two follow-up questions from your partner, or imagine two such questions. Practice responding quickly with the correct case pattern.
- Write your eight to ten sentence account from the Writing Workshop. Apply the final editing checklist.
- Reflect briefly in English or Russian. Note which of the three patterns, где, куда́, or отку́да, still feels least automatic.
| Criterion | What is checked |
|---|---|
| Route coherence | The learner's route moves through at least four places in a clear, logical order. |
| Location control | The learner correctly uses в or на with the prepositional case to describe where places are. |
| Destination control | The learner correctly uses в or на with the accusative case to describe movement toward a place. |
| Source control | The learner correctly uses из or с with the genitive case, matched to the correct preposition family, to describe where movement began. |
| Cohesion | The learner links the stages of the route with connectors such as пото́м, снача́ла, or по́сле того́ как. |
| Overall comprehensibility | The completed spoken and written account communicates the route clearly to a sympathetic listener or reader familiar with A2 to B1 Russian. |
This task is not one of the four cumulative unit assessments scheduled in Chapters 5, 10, 15, and 20. It provides practice and formative evidence for the where, to where, and from where system this chapter develops.
Answer Key
Grammar Practice
- Ры́нок нахо́дится на у́лице Пу́шкина.
- По́сле заня́тий Тама́ра идёт на по́чту.
- Серге́й то́лько что верну́лся с рабо́ты.
- Ве́чером мы пойдём в парк, е́сли не бу́дет дождя́.
- Э́то письмо́ пришло́ из Москвы́.
Listening — Comprehension
- Ири́на visits, in order, the store, the post office, the pharmacy, and the park, then returns home.
- The store is located on Gogol Street, and Ири́на goes directly from there to the post office.
- Ири́на goes to the pharmacy because it is nearby, downtown, and she goes to the park afterward in order to rest a little.
- Tomorrow Ири́на plans to travel to the neighboring district, to see a friend.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- The market is located on Pushkin Street, next to the pharmacy, and after it Тама́ра and Серге́й plan to go to the post office.
- Серге́й has just come from the post office, where he sent another letter that morning.
Reading
- Дми́трий visits, in order, the market (куда́/где), the bookstore (куда́/где), the post office (куда́/где), and the park (куда́/где), returning home at the end (куда́).
- At the market he buys fruit and bread, and at the bookstore he buys several books for work.
- He goes to the post office to send a package to his parents, and it is located next to the bookstore.
- Sample destination sentences: он пошёл на ры́нок and он пое́хал в це́нтр. Sample location sentences: кото́рый нахо́дится на у́лице Че́хова and кото́рая нахо́дится ря́дом с магази́ном.
Writing
Sample route account: В суббо́ту у́тром я вы́шел из до́ма и пошёл на ры́нок, кото́рый нахо́дится на у́лице Гого́ля. Там я купи́л о́вощи и хлеб. С ры́нка я пошёл в апте́ку, она́ нахо́дится в це́нтре, недалеко́ от вокза́ла. По́сле апте́ки я зашёл на по́чту, что́бы отпра́вить письмо́ роди́телям. Отту́да я пое́хал в парк, кото́рый нахо́дится ря́дом с вокза́лом, и там я немно́го отдохну́л. К ве́черу я верну́лся домо́й. Other accounts drawing accurately on this chapter's vocabulary and case patterns are also correct.
Looking Ahead
Что вы уже уме́ете — What you can do now
You can describe where places are located, explain where you are going, and explain where you have come from, moving confidently among the prepositional, accusative, and genitive cases with в, на, из, and с, in one connected account of a day around town.