Categories: "Adverbs"
Слева
One of the words you use in Russian to describe where something is located is the adverb слева, which can be translated "on the left" or "on the left-hand side." When you get experience your first Russian-language tours in Russia, your tour guide will certainly use the word in phrases like this:
| Слева находится Китайский цирк. | On the left-hand side is the Chinese Circus. |
| Слева вы увидите изввестный Татарский театр. | On the left you will see the well-known Tatar Theater. |
To express the concept "to the left of," you add the preposition от followed by the genitive case:
| Слева от банка находится ювелирный магазин. | To the left of the bank there is a jewelry store. or A jewelry store is located to the left of the bank. |
| Слева от Юры сидит Наташа. Она владеет тремя языками. | Sitting to the left of Yuri is Natalya. She has mastered three languages. |
Although слева can be used to indicate location, the word can also mean "coming from the left" or "from the left" or "from the left side":
| Слева ко мне подкрался карманник. | A pickpocket snuck up to me on the left-hand side. |
| Всегда подходи к лошадям слева, а то они тебя лягнут. | Always approach horses from the left, otherwise they'll kick you. |
Справа
One of the words you use in Russian to describe where something is located is the adverb справа, which can be translated "on the right" or "on the right-hand side." When you experience your first Russian-language tours in Russia, your tour guide will certainly use the word in phrases like this:
| Справа находится Зимний дворец. | On the right-hand side is the Winter Palace. |
| Справа вы увидите Исаакиевский собор. | On the right you will see St. Isaac's Cathedral. |
To express the concept "to the right of," you add the preposition от followed by the genitive case:
| Справа от банка находится ресторанчик. | To the right of the bank there is a little restaurant. or A little restaurant is located to the right of the bank. |
| Справа от Кати сидит Ванька. Он такая свинья, не заводи с ним разговоры, а то пожалеешь. | Sitting to the right of Ekaterina is Ivan. He is such a pig. Don't start talking to him or you'll regret it. |
Although справа can be used to indicate location, the word can also mean "coming from the right" or "from the right" or "from the right side":
| Незнакомая девушка подошла ко мне справа, и, к моему удивлению, онa подсунула мне свой телефон. | A girl I didn't know approached me from the right and, to my surprise, slipped me her phone number. |
| Слева было несколько ям, по-этому скорая помощь подъехала справа. | There were some potholes on the left, so the ambulance approached from the right-hand side. |
В гостях
The second important phrase in Russian that deals with visiting is «в гостях». It is a location phrase, which means it is used with location verbs, not motion verbs. In Russian when you are at someone's home or office, you express that idea with the preposition у followed by the genitive case. Thus:
| В понедельник я был в гостях у дяди. | On Monday I visited my uncle. |
| Мы завтра будем в гостях у Натальи. | Tomorrow we will visit Natalya. |
| Когда я была в гостях у друзей, мы каждый день парились в бане. | When I was visiting my friends, we used the sauna every day. |
Of course you can add other phrases that specify where the person was located when you visited them:
| На прошлой неделе я был в гостях у дяди в Новгороде. | Last week I visited my uncle in Novgorod. |
| Летом у нас в гостях в деревне были племянники из города. Мы научили их, как доить корову. | In the summer our nephews from the city were visiting us in the village. We taught them how to milk the cow. |
| — Не поверишь, но в августе я была в гостях у друга в Пуэрто-Рико, и у меня была возможность спеть дуэт с Рики Мартином. — Ты права, не верю. |
“You're not going to believe this, but in August I was visiting a friend in Puerto Rico, and I had the opportunity to sing a duet with Ricky Martin.” “You're right. I'm not going to believe that.” |
В гости
One of the important phrases in Russian that deals with visiting is «в гости». It is a motion phrase, which means it is used with motion verbs, not location verbs. In Russian when you go to someone's home or office, you express that idea with the preposition к followed by the dative case. Thus:
| В понедельник я ездил в гости к тёте. | On Monday I went to visit my aunt. |
| Мы завтра пойдём в гости к Игорю. | Tomorrow we will go visit Igor. |
| Когда я ехала в гости к друзьям на поезде, я была в одном купе с членом Академии наук. | When I was riding the train to visit my friends, I shared a compartment with a member of of the Academy of Sciences. |
Now here is where it gets interesting. In English if you mention that place you are going to in addition to the person, that place is expressed as a location phrase. In Russian that place shows up after the preposition в/на + accusative, in other words in a motion phrase:
| Зимой я всегда летаю в гости к сестре в Канаду. | In the winter I always fly to Canada to visit my sister. |
| Летом к нам в гости в деревню всегда приезжают племянники из города. | In the summer our nephews from the city come to visit us in the village. |
| — Не поверишь, но в августе я полечу в гости к другу в Вашингтон, познакомлюсь с Бараком Обамой. — Ты права, не верю. |
“You're not going to believe this, but in August I'm flying to Washington to visit a friend and I'm going to meet Barak Obama.” “You're right. I don't believe it.” |
There is another phrase «в гостях» that treats visiting as a location instead of a motion. We'll discuss it in a day or two.
Туда
The Russian word for ‘there’ in the sense of motion ‘to there’ is туда.
| — Как часто ты бываешь в Москве? — Я туда уже давно не ездил. |
“How often are you in Moscow?” “I haven't gone there in a long time.” |
| Ты помнишь цветочный магазин за библиотекой? Пойди туда и купи маме тюльпанов. | Do you remember the flower store behind the library? Go there and buy some tulips for Mama. |
| Я обожаю магазин «Годива». Всегда туда хожу за шоколадом. | I adore the Godiva store. I always go there for chocolate. |
| Я бы очень хотел полететь на Альфу Центавра, но сомневаюсь, что человек когда-нибудь тудa долетит. | I would really like to fly to Alpha Centauri, but I don't mankind will ever get there. |