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My teacher told me about prepositional cases for nouns and pronouns, and that if a pronoun is preceded by a preposition, then it takes prepositional case. However, in cases such as у тебя есть... why is тебя not taking the prepositional case of тебе?

I do want to point out that I am very new to this language so please do try to explain it in as simple words as possible. Thanks!

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    "if a pronoun is preceded by a preposition, then it takes prepositional case" - your teacher is wrong.
    – Anixx
    Commented Apr 22, 2015 at 18:44
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    In Russian there are only 6 prepositions that need the prepositional case after them: в (во) 'in', на 'on', о (об, обо) 'about', по 'along, (moving) on the surface of', and при 'at'. The first 2 when used with the prepositional case mean the place, and when used with the accusative case mean the direction to the place: в воде (prep.) 'in the water' — в воду (acc.) 'into the water'. That's all, all the rest of the prepositions are to be followed by the other cases. My guess is, since you're just a beginner, your teacher meant only в and на, the 2 most widely used prepositions.
    – Yellow Sky
    Commented Apr 22, 2015 at 19:37
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    @Yellow Sky "по столу" is Dative, not Prepositional
    – Anixx
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 0:33
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    How do you determine that a teacher of the first semester is "brilliant" in any sense?
    – KCd
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 0:43
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    "if a pronoun is preceded by a preposition, then it takes prepositional case" - that's just a mistake. The right thing is: a pronoun in prepositional case is always preceded by a preposition.
    – Matt
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 3:40

2 Answers 2

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In Russian there are only 5 prepositions that need the prepositional case after them:

в (во) 'in'

на 'on'

о (об, обо) 'about'

по 'along, (moving) on the surface of'

при 'at'

The first 2 when used with the prepositional case mean the place, and when used with the accusative case mean the direction to the place:

в воде (prep.) 'in the water' — в воду (acc.) 'into the water'

на земле (prep.) 'on the ground' — на землю (acc.) 'onto the ground'.

That's all, all the rest of the prepositions are to be followed by the other cases. My guess is, since you're just a beginner, your teacher meant only в and на, the 2 most widely used prepositions.

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  • strange, I've never heard of nor seen "по" being used to mean moving on the surface of something. Doesn't dative get used for that??
    – VCH250
    Commented Apr 22, 2015 at 23:44
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    "по столу" is Dative, not Prepositional, -1
    – Anixx
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 0:34
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    Besides this, в and на also can govern Locative when meaning place: в лесу, на снегу.
    – Anixx
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 0:49
  • You wrote there are six prepositions, but specified only five.
    – user31264
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 1:37
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    @user31264 - Yes, a typo, corrected.
    – Yellow Sky
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 7:54
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A little more about "по" with prepositional case:

По прошествии времени (some time later)

По ком звонит колокол (For whom the bell tolls)

Я скучаю по Вас (instead of "Я скучаю по Вам")

1st is normal, 3rd is a little outdated.

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  • The third one always grates on my ear.. How outdated is it?
    – UVV
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 8:07
  • @UVV gramota.ru/spravka/hardwords/25_294 I don't think that many people nowadays say so. Yet bookish wisdom seem still approve it. "Скучать" is a funny verb. Sometimes they even say "Скучаю за тобой" (ukrainism?).
    – Matt
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 8:30
  • the last on grates at most. My mother in law comes from Bashkortostan and she uses it.. at that time I persuade myself how patient I am ;)
    – UVV
    Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 8:46

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