Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| в | v | [v] (narrow) [f] (narrow) |
| на | na | [nə] (narrow) [nɐ] (narrow) |
| к | k | [k] (narrow) [ɡ] (narrow) |
These prepositions indicate movement toward a destination. Use в when the destination is an enclosed space or a building, such as a house, a room or a city. Use на when the destination is an open space, an island or an organized event like a concert or a lesson.
Which one should you use?
The choice of preposition depends on the nature of the destination. Use в for enclosed spaces and на for open spaces or events. However, if the destination is a person or a living being, use к instead. Note that while в and на can mean "to" (direction), they also mean "in" or "on" (location) when the grammatical case is changed.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using в or на to indicate movement towards a destination, you must use the accusative case. If you use к to indicate movement towards a person, you must use the dative case.
How do you pronounce it?
v
Did you know?
- In Russian, the preposition в can also be an abbreviation for 'volt', the unit of electromotive force. This creates a visual coincidence where the word for 'in' or 'to' looks exactly like the scientific unit.
- The Russian word for 'to' when visiting a person к is used not only for people but also for specific parts of a room, such as going 'to the window' к окну.
- In Russian, if you are going 'to the doctor' or 'to the hairdresser', you use к because you are moving toward a professional person rather than a medical facility.
Examples in context
- Я иду в сад.I go to the garden.This sentence shows the use of в for a destination.Tatoeba #678494 by Aleksej, translation #6736431 by Eccles17
- Я иду в банк.I'm going to the bank.Tatoeba #408696 by Hellerick, translation #256982 by CK
- Я иду в кино.I'm going to the cinema.Tatoeba #2015106 by Balamax, translation #1055075 by Eldad
- Это подарок для тебя.This is a gift for you.
- Давай пойдем ко мне.Let's go to my place.
- Я еду на работу.I am going to work.
- Пойдем в кино.Let's go to the movies.
- Мы едем к озеру.We are going to the lake.
- Он приходит ко мне в гости.He is coming to visit me.
- Она идет в магазин.She is going to the store.
- 12278 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Olga and Aleksandr are talking about their plans for the afternoon.
- Ольга OlgaТы идёшь в парк?Ty idyosh v park?Are you going to the park?
- Александр AleksandrНет, я иду в магазин.Net, ya idu v magazin.No, I am going to the store.
- Ольга OlgaАлександр, мне нужно в аптеку.Aleksandr, mne nuzhno v apteku.Aleksandr, I need to go to the pharmacy.
- Александр AleksandrХорошо, я подожду тебя.Khorosho, ya podozhdu tebya.Okay, I will wait for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “to” translations and entries в, на, к, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
