Prepositions that differ from Ukrainian and Russian
Depend on, married to, arrive at, angry with, in the picture, on the bus. The prepositions that do not match their Ukrainian and Russian equivalents, grouped for learning.
The problem
Prepositions are the least logical part of any language, and the part learners translate most automatically. Ukrainian залежати від and Russian зависеть от seem to give depend from, and приїхати в / приехать в gives arrive to. The results sound natural to you and wrong to everyone else.
There is a second, less visible cause. Ukrainian and Russian often use a case ending where English uses a preposition, and the other way round. Слухати музику / слушать музыку takes a direct object, so learners write listen music. Цікавитися спортом / интересоваться спортом uses the instrumental case with no preposition at all, so learners have to guess, and usually guess for or by. English expects listen to music and interested in sport.
No rule predicts these combinations. The practical approach is to learn each verb or adjective together with its preposition, as one unit: not depend, but depend on.
How English does it
Verbs. The preposition is part of the verb and cannot be dropped or changed.
| English | Ukrainian / Russian | Typical wrong version |
|---|---|---|
| depend on | залежати від / зависеть от | depend from |
| consist of | складатися з / состоять из | consist from |
| arrive in (a city, a country), arrive at (a building, a station) | приїхати в / приехать в | arrive to |
| listen to | слухати (що) / слушать (что) | listen music |
| wait for | чекати (на) / ждать | wait somebody |
| pay for | платити за / платить за | pay the tickets (meaning: pay for them) |
| laugh at | сміятися з / смеяться над | laugh on, laugh about |
| congratulate on | вітати з / поздравлять с | congratulate with |
Adjectives. Learn the adjective and preposition together.
| English | Ukrainian / Russian | Typical wrong version |
|---|---|---|
| married to | одружений з / женат на | married with, married on |
| angry with (a person), angry about (a thing) | сердитий на / сердитый на | angry on |
| interested in | цікавитися (чим) / интересоваться (чем) | interested for, interested by |
| good at | добре вміти / хорошо уметь | good in |
| afraid of | боятися (чого) / бояться (чего) | afraid from, afraid before |
| proud of | пишатися (чим) / гордиться (чем) | proud with |
Places and transport. Here English and Ukrainian or Russian often picture the space differently.
| English | Ukrainian / Russian |
|---|---|
| on the bus, on the train, on the plane | в автобусі / в автобусе |
| in a car, in a taxi | в машині / в машине |
| by bus, by car, by train; on foot | автобусом, пішки / на автобусе, пешком |
| in the picture, in the photo | на картині, на фото / на картине, на фото |
| at university, at school, at work | в університеті / в университете |
| on TV, on the radio | по телевізору / по телевизору |
| in the street (British), on the street (American) | на вулиці / на улице |
| at the weekend (British), on the weekend (American) | на вихідних / на выходных |
Large vehicles you can walk around in (buses, trains, planes, ships) take on; small ones you sit inside (cars, taxis) take in. By is used for the means of transport without an article: by bus, never by the bus. The one exception is on foot.
Examples
- Our plans depend on the weather.
- The test consists of three parts.
- Anna is married to a doctor.
- We arrived at the station ten minutes late.
- Tom is very interested in history.
- My sister is good at maths but afraid of dogs.
- I usually go to work on the bus, but today I came on foot.
- Who is the man in the picture?
Common mistakes
- ✗ It depends from the price.
✓ It depends on the price.
Від / от translates as from in most other contexts, which is why the error is so persistent. Depend takes only on. - ✗ She is married with an engineer.
✓ She is married to an engineer.
Ukrainian одружена з suggests with, Russian замужем за or женат на suggests something else again. English always uses married to a person; married with children means that someone has children. - ✗ We arrived to the airport at six.
✓ We arrived at the airport at six.
Arrive never takes to. Use at for a building or point and in for a city or country. Get to and come to are the verbs that do take to. - ✗ Look at this photo. Who is on the photo?
✓ Look at this photo. Who is in the photo?
A picture or photograph in English has space inside it, so people and objects are in it. На фото, the same in both languages, leads learners to on. - ✗ I congratulate you with your birthday.
✓ Happy birthday. / Congratulations on your new job.
Вітаю з / поздравляю с is not translated word for word. For birthdays English says Happy birthday; for achievements, congratulations on.
Try it
- It all depends ___ the weather.
- Tom is married ___ a teacher.
- Are you interested ___ art?
- We arrived ___ the hotel late at night.
- I left my umbrella ___ the bus this morning.
- Anna is very good ___ languages.