Adverbs of place vs. adverbs of direction in Russian

In Russian, we often use two separate place/direction words in a context where English only uses one. For example, compare the sentences below:

Where in English we use “here” as both an adverb of place and an adverb of direction, in Russian we use different words for different functions. Read on, and you’ll find out more on how adverbs of location and direction are different in Russian.

The words “here” or “there” can be translated using a wide variety of words in Russian, and the one you use will depend on the context. The biggest distinction is in whether “here” or “there” represents:

• a static location, where something is or is happening

• a destination towards which something is moving

• a source something is moving away from

This table gives the corresponding Russian translations:

Here are some examples of the different ways to use the Russian words for “here”:

• static location

  Здесь не курят.

  Transcription: zdyes nye KOOryat

  Translation: Smoking is not allowed here.

  Я не хочу тут жить.

  Transcription: ya nye khaCHOO toot zhyt

  Translation: I don’t want to live here.
• direction / destination

  Мы переехали сюда недавно.

  Transcription: my piriYEkhali syuDA niDAVna

  Translation: We have moved here recently.
• source

  Иди отсюда!

  Transcription: iDEE atSYUda

  Translation: Go away!

  Literally: lit. Go from here!

And here are some examples of the different ways to use the Russian words for “there”:

• static location

  Я там никогда не был.

  Transcription: ya tam nikagDA NYE byl

  Translation: I have never been there.
• direction / destination

  Положите книги туда.

  Transcription: palaZHEEtye KNEEgi tooDA

  Translation: Put the books there.
• source

  Он пошарил в кармане и достал оттуда конфету.

  Transcription: on paSHAril v karMAnye i dasTAL aTOOda kanFYEtoo

  Translation: He felt about in his pocket and took out a candy.

  Literally: lit. …took from there a candy.

Adverbs like “left” and “right,” for relative directions, are also divided into categories: location, direction, and source.

However, unlike the Russian words for “here” and “there,” in these cases the adverbs all share a stem, and differ only in their prefixes and suffixes. The table below provides the adverbs themselves. We’ll give some examples and additional discussion below.

Let’s go through each English word and look at some examples of how to use these adverbs.

• Russian words for “left”

  • static location

    Ваша комната вторая слева.

    Transcription: VAsha KOMnata ftaRAya SLYEva

    Translation: Your room is the second one on the left.
  • direction / destination

    На перекрестке поверните налево.

    Transcription: na piriKRYOSTkye pavirNEEtye naLYEva

    Translation: Turn left at the intersection.
  • source

    Откуда-то слева послышалась музыка.

    Transcription: atKOOdata SLYEva paSLYshalas MOOzyka

    Translation: Somewhere from the left came the sound of music.

• Russian words for “right”

  • static location

    Мой сосед справа - художник.

    Transcription: moy saSYET SPRAva khooDOZHnik

    Translation: My neighbor on the right is an artist.
  • direction / destination

    При переходе через дорогу, посмотрите сначала налево, потом направо.

    Transcription: pri piriKHOdye CHEris daROgoo pasmaTREEtye snaCHAla naLYEva paTOM naPRAva

    Translation: When crossing the road, first look left, then right.
  • source

    По-арабски пишут справа налево.

    Transcription: pa-aRAPski PEEshoot SPRAva naLYEva

    Translation: In Arabic one writes from right to left.

• Russian words for “up” or “above”

  • static location

    Самые дорогие каюты на круизных лайнерах обычно наверху.

    Transcription: SAmyie daraGEEye kaYUty na krooEEZnykh LAYnirakh aBYCHna navitKHOO

    Translation: On cruise ships, the most expensive rooms are usually at the top.
  • direction / destination

    Путь наверх оказался нелёгким даже для опытных альпинистов.

    Transcription: poot naVYERKH akaZALsya niLYOKHkim DAzhe dlya Opytnykh alpiNEEStaf

    Translation: The way up turned out to be far from easy even for seasoned climbers.

    Вытяните руки перед собой ладонями вверх.

    Transcription: VYtiniti ROOki PYErit saBOY laDOnimi vyerkh

    Translation: Put your hands out in front of you with palms up.
  • source

    Вам сверху будет лучше видно.

    Transcription: vam SVYERkhoo BOOdit LOOCHshe VEEDna

    Translation: You’ll have a better view from above.

• Russian words for “down” or “below”

  • static location

    Внизу, в долине, виднелась деревня.

    Transcription: vniZOO v daLEEnye vidNYElas diRYEVnya

    Translation: In the valley below a village could be seen.
  • direction / destination

    Мы стояли на балконе и бросали вниз камушки.

    Transcription: my staYAli na balKOnye i braSAli vnees KAmooshki

    Translation: We were standing on the balcony and throwing down small stones.
  • source

    Деревья подсвечивались снизу.

    Transcription: diRYEVya patSVYEchivalis SNEEzoo

    Translation: The trees were illuminated from beneath.

• Russian words for “ahead,” “in front,” or “forward”

  • static location

    Они вошли в зал и сели впереди.

    Transcription: aNEE zaSHLEE v zal i SYEli fpiriDEE

    Translation: They came into the audience and sat in the front.

    Она надела платье с глубоким вырезом спереди.

    Transcription: aNA naDYEla PLATye s glooBOkim VYryezam SPYEridi

    Translation: She put on a dress with a deep cut at the front.

    спереди is more colloquial than впереди
  • direction / destination

    Кто готов, сделайте шаг вперёд.

    Transcription: kto gaTOF ZDYElaytye shak fpiRYOT

    Translation: Those who are ready make a step forward.

• Russian words for “behind” or “backward”

  • static location

    Шум города остался позади.

    Transcription: shoom GOrada asTALsya pazaDEE

    Translation: The noise of the city was now behind.

    Наши места были сзади, поэтому нам было плохо видно.

    Transcription: NAshi misTA BYli ZAdi paEtamoo nam BYla PLOkha VEEDna

    Translation: Our seats were at the back so we couldn’t see very well.

    Подожди, у тебя сзади на ноге жук сидит.

    Transcription: padaZHDEE oo tiBYA ZAdi na spiNYE zhook siDEET

    Translation: Wait, there is a beetle on the back of your leg (lit: on your leg).

    Usually сзади and позади are interchangeable, but only сзади can mean “back” as part of a human body or an object.
  • direction / destination

    Назад в будущее

    Transcription: naZAT v BOOdooshchiye

    Translation: Back to the future (movie title).

    Я хочу уехать обратно в деревню.

    Transcription: ya khaCHOO ooYEkhat abRATna v diRYEVnyu

    Translation: I want to go back to the village.

There are several Russian adverbs that can be either adverbs of place or adverbs of direction, depending on context:

• далеко (transcribed daliKO, meaning “far / far away”)

• близко (transcribed BLEESka, meaning “close / near”)

• напротив (transcribed naPROtif, meaning “opposite / across from / face-to-face”)

• посередине (transcribed pasiriDEEnye, meaning “in the middle”)

• рядом (transcribed RYAdam, meaning “near”)

For example:

• static location

  Он живёт далеко, в другой стране.

  Transcription: on zhyVYOT daliKO v drooGOY straNYE

  Translation: He lives far away, in another country.
• direction / destination

  Он уехал далеко, в другую страну.

  Transcription: on ooYEkhal daliKO v drooGOOyu straNOO

  Translation: He went far away, to another country.

In this post we have looked at how adverbs of place in Russian are different from adverbs of direction:

• They may be entirely different words, like здесь meaning “here” as place and сюда meaning “here” as direction, or там meaning “there” as place and туда meaning “there” as direction

• They may differ in regards to prefixes/suffixes, like the words for relative directions (“left”, “right”, “up”, “down”, “ahead”, “back”), for example, внизу meaning “down” as place, and вниз meaning “down” as direction

• They could be exactly the same words, for instance, рядом meaning “near” both as place and direction

See if you can use them correctly now by downloading our Russian adverbs of place and direction activities below!