If the phrase that your time word introduces contains a verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (e.g. “before I ate lunch…”), you’ll introduce that expression with a conjunctionNo definition set for conjunctionLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. of time instead of a preposition. Check out our post on conjunctions of time in Russian to learn more!
What are prepositions of time in Russian?
Prepositions of time in Russian are words that are used to indicate when something happened, happens, or will happen. They can be used to introduce a specific moment in time (“at 2 pm”), a duration of time (“for an hour”), a recurring time (“on Mondays”), etc.
в два часа дня
v dva chaSA dnya
at 2pm
до обеда / перед обедом
da aBYEda / PYErit aBYEdam
before lunch
по понедельникам
pa paniDYELnikam
on Mondays
через неделю
CHYEris neDYElyu
in a week
Learning to use prepositions of time is an important step in learning how to talk about time in Russian. In this article we will learn about all Russian prepositions of time and see many examples of how to use them in sentences.
Table of Contents
When to use prepositions of time?
You'll most often use a preposition of time in phrases that answer questions like:
когда?
kagda
when?
в котором часу?
v katoram chasoo
at what time?
в какой день?
v kakoy dyen
on what day?
в каком году, веке?
v kakom gadoo, vyeki
what year, century?
как долго?
kak dolga
for how long?
в которомза какое время?
za kakoye vryemya
in/within what time?
Like other prepositions, prepositions of time come before a nounNo definition set for nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or noun phraseNo definition set for noun phraseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. The preposition will tell you how the “time” represented by the noun after the preposition relates to the timing of the rest of the events in a sentence.
Here are some examples of Russian prepositions of time:
В понедельник в 10 утра я изучаю русский язык три часа, а по пятницам я хожу в спортзал.
f paniDYELnik v DYEsit ootRA ya izooCHAyu ROOSkiy yaZYK tree chiSA, a pa PYAtnitsam ya khaZHOO f spartZAL.
On Monday at 10 am I study Russian for three hours, and on Fridays I go to the gym.
Через месяц я поеду в отпуск на две недели. Я точно отдохну за это время!
CHYEris MYEsits ya paYEdoo v OTpoosk na dvye niDYEli. Ya TOCHna adaKHNOO za Eta VRYEmya!
In a month I will go on vacation for two weeks. I will definitely rest during this time!
Tip
What are the most important prepositions of time in Russian?
There are many prepositions which help us to express time in Russian. The prepositions в(о)[v](in/on/at), на[na](for) are the most frequent among them. However, you still need other prepositions of time! Here is a quick list:
в(о)
v
in, on, at
на
na
for
по
pa
on
за
za
within
к
k
at, by
до
do
before
накануне
nakaNOOni
(the day) before
перед
PYErit
before
с
s
since
после
POSli
after
через
CHYEris
in, after
спустя
spoosTYA
in, after
при
pree
when (+ action)
c… до…
c… по…
s…da…
s...pa...
from…to…
Important
Most of the prepositions above can be used in phrases that don’t describe time as well. In this article we’ll focus on their meaning and grammar in time phrases. You can check out some of our other articles to see how to use them in other situations!
Let’s now look at how to use some of these important prepositions of time in Russian!
How to use в(о) as a preposition of time?
We use the preposition в(о)[v](in/on/at) before an exact time. We use it to answer questions like:
когда?[kagda](when)
во сколько?[va skolka](at what time?)
в котором часу?[v katoram chasoo](at what time?)
в какой день?[v kakoy dyen](on what day?)
в каком году / веке?[v kakom gadoo / vyeki](what year / century?)
Usually, the preposition в(о) is followed by the accusative case, but as you can see below, there are a few exceptions.
Important
When you use в before a time that involves a number, only the number will be in the accusative case. The words the numbers count (like “hours,” “minutes,” “seconds”) will be in the genitive case instead. (For a refresher on counting things with numbers, have a look at our post on cardinal numbers in Russian!)
в(о) + time of day → accusative case
accusative caseНаш самолёт приземлился в три часа.
nash samaLYOT priziMLEELsya f tree chaSA.
Our plane landed at three o’clock.
В 6:30 (шесть тридцать) вечера я заеду за тобой.
f shest TREEtsat VYEchira ya zaYEdoo za taBOY.
I'll pick you up at six thirty.
в(о) + day / time of the week → accusative case
accusative caseОна ходит в спортзал во вторник и среду.
aNA KHOdit f sportZAL va VTORnik i SRYEdoo.
She goes to the gym on Tuesday and Wednesday.
В выходные мы любим гулять в парке.
v vykhadNYye my LYUbim gooLYAt v PARkye.
On weekends we like to walk in the park.
в(о) + months, years, centuries → prepositional case
prepositional caseВ следующем месяце они поедут в Европу.
f SLYEdooyushchim MYEsyatse aNEE paYEdoot v yivROpoo.
Next month (lit. in next month) they will go to Europe.
Она поступила в университет в этом году.
aNA pastooPEEla v oonivyersiTYET v Etam gaDOO.
She entered the university this year (lit. in this year).
Интернет появился в прошлом веке.
interNET payaVEELsya f PROSHlam VYEki.
The internet appeared in the last century.
As you can see, there are some situations when, we use the preposition в(о) in Russian, but no preposition is needed in English. Look out for this when expressing times that use “next” “last” or “this” in English!
В(о)[v(o)] also comes at the start of several multi-word prepositions of time. You can use any of these before a noun in the genitive case.
Expression | Example |
|---|---|
во время va VRYEmya during lit. in time of | genitive case Нужно отдыхать во время обеда. NOOZHna adyKHAT va VRYEmya aBYEda. (We) should/need to rest during lunch. |
в течение v tiCHYEnii within/during lit. in current | genitive case В течение недели она должна закончить статью. v tiCHYEnii niDYEli aNA dalZHNA zaKONchit staTYU. Within a week, she should finish the article. |
в продолжение v pradalZHYEnii in continuation | genitive case В продолжение нашего разговора, отправляю вам информацию о товаре. v pradalZHYEnii NAshiva razgaVOra, atpraVLYAyu vam infarMAtsiyu a taVArye. In continuation of our conversation, I am sending you information about the product. |
в заключение v zaklyuCHYEniye at the end lit. in conclusion | genitive case В заключение своего выступления я бы хотел сказать, что жизнь прекрасна! v zaklyuCHYEniye svaiVO vystooPLYEniya ya by khaTYEL skaZAT shto zhyzn priKRASna! At the end of my speech, I would like to say that life is beautiful! |
Importantв vs. во
In Russian, the prepositions в[v] and во[va] are the same word, just with a difference in pronunciation. The preposition в becomes во before consonant clusters (two or more consonants) at the beginning of a word. For example:
Во сколько начинается выставка?
va SKOLka nachiNAitsa VYstafka
At what time does the exhibition start?
Выставка начинается в пять часов.
VYstafka nachiNAitsa f pyat chaSOF.
The exhibition starts at five o'clock.
How to use по as a preposition of time?
The preposition по[pa](on) introduces the day or and other time periods when an action usually happens. It shows the regularity of this action. In this sense of the word, по[pa] takes the dative plural.
По четвергам я учусь плавать.
pa chitvirGAM ya ooCHOOS PLAvat.
On Thursdays I learn to swim.
По выходным мы ходим в музеи.
pa vykhaDNYM my KHOdim v mooZYEi.
On weekends we go to museums.
По утрам я всегда пью воду с лимоном.
pa ootRAM ya fsigDA pyu VOdoo s liMOnam.
In the mornings I always drink water with lemon.
По ночам наша кошка не спит.
pa naCHAM NAsha KOSHka ni speet.
Our cat doesn’t sleep at night.
How to use на as a preposition of time?
When we use the preposition на[na] with time it mostly will be translated into English as the preposition “for,” or it will be omitted in translation.
Function | Case of following noun | Example |
|---|---|---|
To introduce a | prepositional | prepositional case На этой неделе у нас много свободного времени. na Etay niDYEli oo nas MNOga svaBOdnava VRYEmini. (During) this week we have a lot of free time. |
For the period | accusative | accusative case Он взял велосипед напрокат на месяц. on vzyal vilasiPYET napraKAT na MYEsits. He rented a bike for a month. Можешь одолжить мне немного денег на неделю? MOzhesh adalZHYT mnye niMNOga DYEnyek na niDYElyu? Can you lend me some money for a week? Она поехала в Токио на два года. aNA paYEkhala f TOkia na dva GOda. She went to Tokyo for two years. |
In phrases | accusative | accusative case на годы/года na GOdy/goDA for years → both variants are correct, года[goDA] is more old fashioned, bookish на долгие годы na DOLgiye GOdy for many years lit. long years на годы вперёд na GOdy fpiRYOT for years ahead |
We usually use preposition на[na](for) to describe the length of time that the result of an action lasts, not to describe the length the event/action itself. This means you usually will use на[na] after perfectiveNo definition set for perfectiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verbs, since we’re looking at the time the end result lasts.
It also means that you usually will not use на to express duration with verbs like:
быть[byt](to be)
жить[zyt](to live)
работать[raBOtat](to work)
посещать[pasiSHCHAT](to visit)
reflexive verbs
If you want to focus on how long the action itself lasts, you do not need a preposition at all! For example:
With на[na]: focused on the duration of the result | Without на[na]: focused on the duration of the action |
|---|---|
Он переехал в Перу на три года. on piriYEkhal v piROO na tree GOda. He moved to Peru for three years. → The result of moving lasts 3 years. | Он жил в Перу три года. on zhyl v piROO tree GOda He lived in Peru for three years. → The living itself lasts three years. |
Его посадили в тюрьму на год. iVO pasaDEEli v tyurMOO na got. He was put in jail for a year. → The result of being put in jail lasts a year. | Он уже год находится в тюрьме. on yzhe got naKHOditsa v tyurMYE He has been in prison for a year now. → Being in prison lasts a year. |
Мы отправились в Париж на неделю. my atPRAvilis v paREEZH na niDYElyu. We went (lit: sent ourselves) to Paris for a week. → The result of going to Paris lasts a week. | Мы были в Париже неделю и посещали Лувр два дня. my BYli v paRIzhye niDYElyu i pasiSHCHAli loovr dva dnya. We were in Paris for a week and visited the Louvre for two days. → Being in Paris lasts a week, visits to the Louvre last two days. |
The preposition на[na] also comes at the start of some multi-word expressions like на протяжении[na pratyaZHEnii], which can be used as prepositions of time before the genitive case:
Он зевал на протяжении всей встречи.
on ziVAL na pratyaZHEnii fsyey FSTRYEchi.
He was yawning throughout the meeting.
What are some other Russian prepositions that you can use to describe when something happened?
Though в[v], по[pa], and на[na] are the most important prepositions of time in Russian, there are several others that you can use to introduce the time or duration of an action. Let’s go through them one-by-one!
за → “within”
The preposition за[za](within) is used to express how long it will take to accomplish/finish something. За takes the accusative case.
Они выполнили всю работу за три дня.
aNEE VYpalnili vsyu raBOtoo za tree dnya.
It took them three days to complete the entire job.
Я обычно готовлю ужин за сорок минут.
ya aBYCHna gaTOVlyu OOzhyn za SOrak miNOOT.
It usually takes me forty minutes to cook dinner.
Я напишу отчёт за неделю.
ya napiSHOO atCHYOT za niDYElyu.
It will take me a week to write a report.
The preposition за can also be used together with the preposition до[da] to indicate the amount of time remaining before an event.
за
za
amount of time
accusative
до
da
starting event
genitive
Они приехали в театр за десять минут до начала оперы.
aNEE priYEkhali v tiAtr za DYEsit miNOOT da naCHAla Opiry.
They arrived at the theater (within) ten minutes before the start of the opera.
к → “by,” “at,” or “for”
When used as a preposition of time, к[k] can be translated as “at,” “for,” or “by,” and it is usually used to state a deadline. Use the dative case after preposition к[k].
Он всегда приходит к моменту торжества.
on fsiGDA priKHOdit k maMYENtoo tarzhySTVA.
He always arrives by the moment of celebration.
К выходным должно потеплеть.
k vykhadNYM dalZHNO patiPLYET.
By the weekend, it should get warmer.
доm and перед → “before”
In Russian, there are a few different prepositions that all translate to “before”:
до[da] + genitive case
перед[PYErit] + instrumental case
накануне[nakaNOOni] + genitive case
Generally, до[da] and перед[PYErit] are synonymous. However, there are some small differences:
Перед[PYErit] is more immediate and might be better translated as “right before.”
Перед[PYErit] can’t be used before a numerical time (e.g. “before six”), only events that are used to indicate time (e.g. “before lunch”).
Compare:
- genitive caseinstrumental caseSpeaker A:
Давайте поговорим до урока?
daVAYti pagavaREEM da ooROka?
Shall we talk before class?
→ sometime “before”Speaker B:Да, я позвоню вам перед уроком.
da, ya pazvaNYU vam PYErit oROkam.
Yes, I'll call you before class.
→ right before - genitive caseinstrumental caseSpeaker A:
Нужно обсудить доклад до трёх дня!
NOOZHna absooDEET dakLAT da tryokh dnya!
We need to discuss the report before three pm!
→ sometime “before”; numerical timeSpeaker B:Мы можем поговорить перед обедом.
my MOzhym pagavaREET PYErit aBYEdam.
We can talk before dinner.
→ directly “before”; event
накануне → “the day before”
The preposition накануне[nakaNOOni] is used to discuss something that happened “the day before” something else, though it’s often translated as just “before.” It is followed by the genitive case. For instance:
Накануне командировки мы разговаривали по телефону.
nakaNOOni kamandiROFki my razgaVArivali pa tiliFOnoo.
On the eve of the trip, we talked over the phone.
This preposition comes from the adverb накануне[nakaNOOni]((the day) before), which has a similar meaning, but is used without a following noun.
Вчера он уехал в командировку. Накануне мы разговаривали по телефону.
fchiRA on ooYEkhal f kamandiROFkoo. nakaNOOnye my razgaVArivali pa tiliFOnoo.
Yesterday he went on a business trip. We talked on the phone the previous day.
c → “since” or “from”
Use the preposition с[s](since/from) to indicate that an action or a situation started in the past and is continuing. In this use, it is followed by the genitive case. For instance:
Она не может найти работу с апреля.
aNA ni MOzhyt nayTEE raBOtoo s apRYElya.
She has not been able to find a job since April.
С этого года тарифы на проезд в метро повышаются.
s Etava GOda taREEfy na praYEST v mitRO pavySHAyutsa.
Starting this year, metro fares are going up.
С начала войны погибли тысячи людей.
s naCHAla vayNY paGEEBli TYsyachi lyuDYEY.
Thousands of people have died since the beginning of the war.
c… до… and c… по… → “from… to…”
Russians use the pairs of prepositions c… до…[s… da…](from... to...) or c… по…[s… pa…](from... to...) to indicate when an action starts and when it ends.
Use c… до…[s… da… ](from… to…) with time intervals within 24 hours.
с
genitive
до
genitive
Мы изучаем русский с утра до вечера.
my izooCHAim ROOSkiy iZYK s ootRA da VYEchira.
We study Russian from morning to evening.
Магазин работает с 8 (восьми) до 9 (девяти).
magaZEEN raBOtait s vasMEE ooTRA da divyaTEE VYEchira.
The store is open (lit. works) from 8 in the morning to 9 in the evening.
Use c… по…[s... pa...](from... to...) to express time intervals with days, months, years, etc.
с
genitive
с
accusative
Обычно люди работают с понедельника по пятницу.
aBYCHna LYUdi raBOtayut s paniDYELnika pa PYATnitsoo.
Usually people work from Monday to Friday.
С 1998 года по 2003 год он жил в Казахстане.
s TYsicha divitSOT diviNOsta vasMOva GOda pa dvye TYsichi TRYEtiy got on zhyl f kazakhSTAnye.
From 1998 to 2003 he lived in Kazakhstan.
Tip
There are some famous phrases with prepositions c… до…[s… da…](from... to...) :
С рассвета до заката
s rasVYEta da zaKAta
from sunrise to sunset
От зари до зари
at zaREE da zaREE
from dawn to dawn
через and спустя → “in” or “after”
The prepositions через[CHYEris] and спустя[spoosTYA] introduce the amount of time before something will start, or the amount of time that had to pass before something could start in the past.
If you’re describing an action that happened in the past, you can use either через[CHYEris] or спустя[spoosTYA] with the accusative case, without much difference in meaning.
accusative caseОни встретились в Париже, а через / спустя два года поженились.
aNEE FSRYEtilis v paREEzhye, a CHYEris dva GOda pazhiNEElis.
They met in Paris and, after two years, they got married.
If you’re describing an action that will happen in the future, though, you can only use через[CHYEris]. For example:
accusative caseОни приезжают погостить у нас через три дня.
aNEE priiZHAyut pagaSTEET oo nas CHYEris tree dnya.
They come to visit us in three days.
Через неделю мы будем отмечать день рождения сына.
CHYEris niDYElyu my BOOdim atmiCHAT dyen razhDYEniya SYna.
In a week we will celebrate my son’s birthday.
Мы улетаем через неделю на море.
my ooliTAim CHYEris niDYElyu na MOrye.
We’re going (lit: flying out) to the sea in a week.
Она станет известной, через год или через 10 лет!
aNA STAnit izVYESnay, CHYEris got ili CHYEris DYEsit lyet!
She will become famous, in a year or in 10 years!
при → “in the time of” or “when”
The preposition при[pree] has two meanings expressing time:
“under” / “in the time of” + some event / historical period
“when” + noun for an action
In both uses, it triggers the prepositional case.
При Горбачёве в стране начались реформы и Перестройка.
pree garbaCHOvye v straNYE nachaLEES riFORmy i piriSTROYka.
Under Gorbachev, reforms and Perestroika began in the country.
При выходе из вагона (метро) не забывайте ваши вещи!
pri VYkhadi iz vaGOna (mitRO) ni zabyVAYti VAshн VYEshchi)
When leaving the train (metro), don't forget your belongings (lit: things)!
Summary
There are many prepositions of time, each of which is used for a specific time situation and followed by a certain case. Refer to the chart below to check the meaning and the case required after it.
Preposition of time | Case after |
|---|---|
в(о)[v](in/on/at) | accusative |
на[na](for) | accusative, |
за[za](in/within) | accusative |
к[k](by) | dative |
по[pa](on/in) | dative |
до[do](before) | genitive |
накануне[nakaNOOni](before) | genitive |
перед[PYErit](before) | instrumental |
c[s](since/from) | genitive |
c… до[s... da](from... to) | с+ genitive … до + genitive |
c… по[s... pa](from… to) | c + genitive ... по + genitive |
после[POSli](after) | genitive |
через[CHYEris](in/after) | accusative |
спустя[spoosTYA](in/after) | accusative |
при[pree](during / in the time of) | genitive |
около[Okala](about) | genitive |
Now, you’re ready to try out the Russian prepositions of time exercises below! Test yourself to see if you’ve become a master!
Downloadable Resources
Elevate your language-learning journey to new heights with the following downloadable resources.
