Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| вблизи́ | vblizí |
| во́зле | vózle |
| о́коло | ókolo |
| по́дле | pódle |
| ря́дом | rjádom |
| по сосе́дству | po sosédstvu |
When you want to describe something being in a time, place or sequence closest or following, you use various Russian forms.
Which one should you use?
вблизи́ is often used as a preposition meaning 'in the vicinity of'. ря́дом is an adverb used to describe something being 'next to' or 'nearby' in a general spatial sense. по сосе́дству is an adverbial phrase specifically describing something located in the immediate vicinity or neighborhood. во́зле functions as a preposition meaning 'on the side of'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While most forms are standard, по́дле is an archaic or highly poetic version of 'near' and is not used in standard modern conversational Russian. For formal contexts, the plural form следующие may be used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word вблизи́ can function as an adverb meaning 'nearby' or as a preposition meaning 'in the vicinity of' followed by the genitive case.
How do you pronounce it?
vblizí
Did you know?
- The preposition о́коло can mean 'next to' in a spatial sense, but it is also the standard way to say 'about' or 'approximately' when talking about numbers.
- While ря́дом describes spatial closeness, it often carries a warm, emotional nuance of 'alongside' or 'with' someone, suggesting companionship rather than just distance.
- While вблизи́ describes proximity, you cannot use it to describe the 'next' item in a sequence, such as 'the next page' in a book, where you must use сле́дующий.
Examples in context
- Туристы из следующей группы прибудут через полчаса.Tourists from the next group will arrive in half an hour.
- Сначала посмотрим фильм, а потом пойдем в ресторан.First, we'll watch a movie, and then we'll go to a restaurant.
Example conversation
Olga and Alexander are looking for a cafe on a map.
- Ольга OlgaГде здесь ближайшее кафе?Gde zdes' blizhayshee kafe?Where is the nearest cafe here?
- Александр AleksandrПосмотри, одно как раз вблизи́.Posmotri, odno kak raz vblizi.Look, there is one right nearby.
- Ольга OlgaОтлично, пойдём туда.Otlichno, poydyom tuda.Great, let's go there.
- Александр AleksandrДа, это всего лишь пара минут.Da, eto vsego lish' para minut.Yes, it's only a couple of minutes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “next” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
