In Russian, prepositions are very important. They help us understand which form of a noun to use after them. Two common prepositions are “с” (with) and “без” (without). These words change the form of the nouns that follow them. If you learn how to use these prepositions, you will improve your Russian skills.

Preposition “с” (with)

The preposition “с” is used with the instrumental case. It shows a connection, companionship, or how something is done.

Examples:

1. Connection:

   • Я иду с другом. (I am going with a friend.)
     • Here, “другом” is in the instrumental case.

2. How something is done:

   • Он изучает русский язык с удовольствием. (He studies the Russian language with pleasure.)
     • “удовольствием” is also in the instrumental case.

Idiom:

• С шумом и гамом (With noise and fuss) – This means doing something with a lot of excitement and noise.

Preposition “без” (without)

The preposition “без” uses the genitive case. It shows that something is missing or not there.

Examples:

1. Missing something:

   • Я не могу жить без тебя. (I cannot live without you.)
     • Here, “тебя” is in the genitive case.

2. Not having something:

   • Она ушла без вещей. (She left without her things.)
     • “вещей” is also in the genitive case.

Idiom:

• Без труда не вытащишь и рыбку из пруда (Without effort, you can’t even catch a fish from the pond) – This saying means you need to work hard to achieve something.

Summary of Cases with “с” and “без”

| Preposition | Case Needed | Example Phrase | Translation | |-------------|------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------| | с | Instrumental | с другом | with a friend | | с | Instrumental | с удовольствием | with pleasure | | без | Genitive | без тебя | without you | | без | Genitive | без вещей | without things |

Practice Exercises

1. Choose the right case:

   • Я общаюсь с (друг/друга).
   • Мы катались без (снег/снега).

2. Translate these sentences:

   • She came with her brother.
   • I cannot live without my phone.

By practicing how to use “с” and “без” with the right cases, you can create better sentences and share more ideas in Russian. Keep using these phrases in your conversations and writing to get even better!