443–444 Object of Feelings 465

(d) Error, ignorance:

По вин) водтеля происхдит Eight out of ten road accidents
8 из 10 аврий are caused by driver error
по ош&бке, недосмтру by mistake, due to an oversight
Note also брак по расчёту ‘marriage of convenience’.

(6) За + instrumental
(i) The spatial origins of the causal meanings of за + instrumental are
evident in examples such as За стенй не вдно ‘You can see nothing
for the wall’ (lit. ‘behind the wall’).
(ii) За also combines with nouns that denote:
(a) Absence:
Лаборатрия не рабтает за неим)нием лаборнта
The laboratory is not functioning for want of a laboratory assistant
Ег оправдли за отс3тствием улк
He was acquitted for lack of evidence
(b) Worthlessness:
брсить за негдностью
to discard as worthless
Прдали за нендобностью
It was sold as surplus to requirements
Note also the compound causal prepositions в результте ‘as a result of ’
and всл)дствие ‘in consequence of ’. Both take the genitive case.

444 Prepositions that denote the object of feelings and

attitudes

(1) К + dative
1 is used to denote the object of many feelings and attitudes:
Он в)жлива ко всем She is polite to everyone
Он добр к живтным He is kind to animals
интер)с к этимолгии interest in etymology
любвь к рдине love for the homeland
относ&ться к to relate to, to treat (someone)
презр)ние к враг" scorn for an enemy
466 The Preposition 444

Note
С + instrumental is used in certain combinations: Лра в)жлива со
вс)ми ‘Lara is polite to everyone’ (cf. вжлива ко всем, above), Я
был с вми груб ‘I was rude to you’, Суд был строг с подсуд-
мыми ‘The court was hard on the defendants’. Compare обращться с
+ instrumental ‘to treat’.

(2) На + accusative
На + accusative denotes the object of anger and similar emotions:
Он негодовл на неё He was indignant with her
Я об&делся на ег слов I took offence at his words
Он серд&т/зол на мен5 He is angry with me
Я та&ла на неё мнго I nursed many
обд grudges against her

(3) Перед + instrumental

Phrases with перед denote the object of feelings of guilt, duty,
responsibility, fear, embarrassment, ingratiation, defiance etc.:
Я виновт перед вми I owe you an apology
долг перед рдиной duty to the homeland
за&скивать перед начльником to ingratiate oneself with the boss
Он извин&лся перед нми He apologized to them
Отвечю перед родтелями I am responsible to the parents
страх перед смртью fear of death
Ем" ст+дно перед самм собй He is ashamed of himself

(4) По + dative
Phrases in по + dative denote the object of yearning, grieving etc.:
скучть по дтям to miss the children
тоск по рдине homesickness
Он в труре по м"жу She is in mourning for her husband
(First- and second-person pronouns appear in the prepositional case after
such verbs: скучли по нас, вас ‘they missed us, you’. Third-person
pronouns appear in the dative or prepositional.)

Note
The compound prepositions в отнош)нии + genitive, по отнош)нию
к: щепетльный в отнош)нии свох об5занностей/по отнош)нию
к свом об5занностям ‘punctilious with respect to his obligations’.
 445 Meanings of Extent 467

445 Prepositions that denote extent

Some prepositions denote extent in its various forms: the dimensions of

an object, quantitative difference and so on.

(1) В + accusative
В + accusative is used to quantify a dimension:
(i) In terms of objects:
кбели толщинй в р3ку cables the thickness of one’s arm
(ii) In terms of conventional units of measurement:
рек глубинй в три м)тра a river three metres deep
гор высотй в т+сячу м)тров a mountain 1,000 metres high
плщадь ширинй в пятьдест м)тров a square 50 metres wide

Note
(a) The dimension word appears in the instrumental in such constructions,
but questions about dimension are posed in the genitive: 1акго он
рста? ‘How tall is he?’
(b) The dimension word can be omitted altogether where it is obvious
which dimension is meant: турбна (мщностью) в дв)сти т+сяч
киловтт ‘a 200,000-kilowatt turbine’, мест (стимостью) в
с)мьдесят рубл)й ‘70-rouble seats’.
(c) Conversely, в may be omitted where the dimension word is
retained, especially in journalistic, colloquial and technical styles:
гор высотй (в) пять т+сяч м)тров ‘a mountain 5,000 metres
high’.
В + accusative is also used in comparative constructions with раз:
Ег дом в три рза бльше моег
His house is three times bigger than mine

(2) В + prepositional
(i) В governs the prepositional of nouns that denote extent, scale etc.:
в кр3пном масштбе on a large scale
в какй-то м)ре in some measure
Прирда из"чена в такй ст)пени, что неожданности вр5д ли
возмжны
468 The Preposition 445

Nature has been studied to such a degree that surprises are hardly
possible
(ii) In some constructions with ст)пень, в and до are synonymous: в/до
н)которой ст)пени ‘to a certain extent’, в/до такй ст)пени ‘to such a
degree’, but в is preferred in the lower and comparative ranges: в млой
ст)пени ‘to a small extent’, в бльшей ст)пени ‘to a greater extent’,
в рзной ст)пени ‘to varying degrees’.

(3) До + genitive
(i) The central meaning of до is ‘limit’ or ‘extent’:
родтели, имющие до пят& parents having up to
челов)к дет)й five children
нак"риваться до тошнот+ to smoke to the point
of nausea
доводть до слёз to reduce to tears
Note also the set expressions
Он промк н&тки до кост)й/до посл)дней He got soaked to the
skin
Он эгост до мзга кост)й He is an egoist to
the core
в пить всё до посл)дней кпли to drain to the last
drop
танцевть до упду to dance till you drop
(ii) До also combines with ст)пень (see (2) (ii) above).

(4) За + accusative
The preposition is used in constructions that denote excess:
Морз уж за тр&дцать There are already over
thirty degrees of frost
Б ло з полночь It was past midnight
Ем" за срок He is over forty
Давлние перевалло з сто The pressure exceeded
атмосфр 100 atmospheres

(5) На + accusative
На + accusative case denotes quantification:
(i) With comparatives (see also 182 (2) (i)):
 445
Он на три гда стрше мен5
(ii) In terms of:
(a) Percentages and fractions:
Земл5 на три ч)тверти окен
выполн5ть нрму на сто пять
Meanings of Extent 469
He is three years older than me
The Earth is three-quarters
ocean
to fulfil one’s norm by 105%
процнтов
(b) Ratio/distribution:
На кждые три кварт&ры должн быть два телефна
There should be two telephones to every three apartments
(c) Monetary value:
штрафовть на 500 рубл)й to fine 500 roubles
на 300 (рублй) мрок 300 roubles’ worth of stamps
(d) Scholastic achievement:
учться на кр3глые пятёрки to get straight As
(e) Projection through space:
бег на т+сячу м)тров 1,000 metres race
Сосн простирется на полторста The pines extend for
килом)тров 150 kilometres
Кричт на весь двор He shouts so loud as
to be heard over the
whole yard

(6) qколо + genitive

qколо denotes approximation:
Bколо м)тра about a metre
Bколо чса about an hour
Bколо двух нед)ль about two weeks

Note
Unlike с + accusative (see (8)), Bколо combines only with nouns that
denote units of measurement.

(7) Пор5дка + genitive

470 The Preposition 445–446

Пордка + genitive denotes approximate numerical quantity:

Цны пордка двадцат&–тридцат& длларов
Prices of the order of 20–30 dollars
До ближйшей дервни пордка пят&десяти килом)тров
(Moskovskii komsomolets)
It is about fifty kilometres to the nearest village

(8) С + accusative
С + accusative expresses many types of approximation (cf. (6)):
Он пржил там с м)сяц He spent about a month there
Он рстом с сестр3 He is about the same height as
his sister
мна величинй с тар)лку a mine about the size of a plate

446 Prepositions that denote purpose

Many prepositional phrases denote the purpose for which an action is

performed or for which an object is designed:

(1) В + accusative
В + accusative appears in a number of phrases which denote the purpose
of an action:
Он в ступил в защ&ту свох He spoke up in defence
прав of his rights
Я пднял бе рук в знак I raised both arms
примирния as a token of
reconciliation
Посадли древо в пмять о They planted a tree in
пвших винах memory of soldiers
who fell in battle
Устрили приём в честь отц They arranged a
reception in honour
of father

(2) Для + genitive ‘meant for/designed for’

ппка для бумг a file for documents
общежтие для студ)нтов a residence for students

Note
(a) Для can also govern a verbal noun: Учёные собралсь для
 446 Meanings of Purpose 471

обсужд)ния р5да вопрсов (= чтbбы обсудть ряд вопрсов)

‘The scientists gathered for a discussion of a number of questions’.
(b) The set phrases для в)рности ‘just to make sure’, для в&да ‘for
the sake of appearances’, для разнообрзия ‘for a change’.

(3) За + accusative
За + accusative denotes the object of struggle, competition etc.:
борться за незавсимость to struggle for
independence
соревновться за выские to compete for high-yield
урожи harvests

(4) За + instrumental in the meaning ‘for/to fetch’

идт за водй to go for water
Я зашёл за сво&м др3гом I called for my friend
чередь за хл)бом a queue for bread
Note usage in abstract contexts: Он обратлся ко мне за сов)том/
пмощью ‘He turned to me for advice/help’.

(5) На + accusative
На + accusative denotes:
(i) A profession aspired to (constructions with уч&ться):
уч&ться на инженра to study to be an engineer
(ii) A quality, the presence/evaluation of which is the object of testing:
исп тывать нвый шлем на прчность
to test a new helmet for strength
(iii) The purpose of a precautionary measure (constructions with
сл3чай):
Он взял с собй знтик на сл3чай дожд
She took an umbrella with her in case of rain

Note
На вский сл3чай ‘just in case/to be on the safe side’:
Спустлся в оврг, на вский сл3чай с ножм в рук (Aitmatov)
He descended into the gully with a knife in his hand, just to be on the
safe side
472 The Preposition 446–447

(6) О + prepositional
О + prepositional can denote the purpose of a request or plea:
крик, приз+в о пмощи a cry, an appeal for help
прсьба о деньгх a request for money

(7) По + dative (constructions with д)ло/дел ‘business’)

Wду в грод по д)лу/делм I am going to town on business

(8) Под + accusative

Под + accusative denotes the function for which an area is designated:
Дли змлю под огорды
They allocated land for market gardens
кмнаты, отведённые под муз)й
rooms ear-marked for a museum
Note also в интер)сах ‘in the interests of ’ and в ц)лях ‘for the
purpose of’ (both + genitive): в ц)лях повышния производ-
тельности труд ‘for the purpose of increasing labour productivity’
(cf. с ц)лью ‘with the aim of ’, which normally combines with a verbal
noun or an infinitive).

447 Concessive meanings expressed by prepositions

(1) Несмотр на + accusative ‘despite’ is the commonest of the

concessive prepositions:
Несмотр на плох"ю погду, он игрли в тннис
Despite the bad weather, they played tennis
(2) Вопрек& + dative ‘contrary to’, невзиря на + accusative ‘despite,
regardless of ’, наперекр + dative ‘in defiance of’ relate to more official
styles: вопрек& прикзу ‘contrary to orders’.
(3) При may also be used with concessive meaning, especially in
combination with весь ‘all’:
При всём своём талнте он не годтся в минстры
For all his talent he is not cut out to be a minister
При всём желнии не мог" вам помчь
Much as I would like to I cannot help you
 448 Distributive Meanings 473

448 Gj + dative/accusative in distributive meaning

In distributive meanings по combines:

(1) With the dative of singular nouns:
Он дал ученикм по уч)бнику
He gave the pupils a book each
В 25% семй б ло по одном3 ребёнку
25% of families had one child each
(2) With the accusative of two, three and four (also 200, 300 and 400):
Мы в пили по две чшки We drank two cups each
(3) With the dative or accusative of other numerals, the dependent noun
appearing in the genitive plural:
Нам дли по пят&/по пять тетрдей
They gave us five exercise books each

Note
The accusative, formerly confined mainly to colloquial styles, is now freely
used in written styles also:
За столми сидло по д)сять студ)нтов
At each of the tables sat ten students
Рабтают по семь часв в день
They work seven hours a day
Тром из них б ло по триндцать (Marinina)
Three of them were thirteen years old
(4) Indefinite numerals are found in either case:
Bти слов имют по н)сколько/н)скольку значний
These words have several meanings each

Note
A distributive phrase in по may function as:
(a) The subject
По бе сторон пардной имлось по балкну
There was a balcony at either side of the main entrance
(b) The object:
474 The Preposition 448–449

Сжимл в кждой рук по пистол)ту

He gripped a pistol in each hand
(c) A temporal expression:
Останвливаются два пезда в с"тки, кждый сто&т по три
мин3ты
Two trains a day stop here, each for three minutes at a time
(d) An attribute:
Чет ре билта по двдцать рубл)й
Four tickets at twenty roubles each
Note the colloquial phrase По чём? ‘how much?’ (each): По чём 5блоки?
‘How much are apples?’ (each).

Other Important Meanings Expressed by Prepositions

449 Prepositions that take the accusative

(1) В
В + accusative denotes:
(i) The target of throwing, knocking, shooting etc. (see also 451 (2)
(iv)):
Он брсил в мен под"шку He threw a pillow at me
Он в стрелил в цель He fired at the target
Он рнен в глову He is wounded in the head
стучть в дверь to knock on/at the door
Он удрил мен5 в ч)люсть He punched me on the jaw
(ii) A game (constructions with игрть; see also 453 (2) (i)):
игрть в футбл/пртки to play football/hide and seek
(iii) The object of belief/infatuation:
врить в социал&зм to believe in socialism
Он влюблся в медсестр3 He fell in love with a nurse
(iv) An object looked/shouted into or through:
Он в бинкль рассмтривает рку
He examines the river through binoculars