под/над/пред/зад/до/между

Prepositions of Place

Level 2Sounds Like pod/nad/pred/zad/do/meždu

Six short words tell you where things are: под (under), над (above), пред (in front of), зад (behind), до (next to) and между (between).

How It Works

1. The six prepositions.

  • под (under, below): под леглото (under the bed), под нулата (below zero)
  • над (above, over): над вратата (above the door). With numbers it also means more than: над сто души (over a hundred people).
  • пред (in front of): пред хотела (in front of the hotel), пред всички (in front of everyone)
  • зад (behind): зад ъгъла (around the corner, literally behind the corner)
  • до (next to, by): до прозореца (by the window). Близо до means near. See до for its other meanings, to and until.
  • между (between, among): между банката и пощата (between the bank and the post office), между приятели (among friends)

2. Where and where to. The same preposition answers both questions. Котката е под масата. (The cat is under the table.) Котката избяга под масата. (The cat ran under the table.)

3. What comes after them. A masculine noun with the article takes the short article after a preposition: под стола, not под столът (see full versus short article). A personal pronoun takes its full form: зад него (behind him), пред тях (in front of them) — see full object pronouns.

4. Without a noun, use an adverb. A preposition always needs a word after it. When there is none, use the adverb forms отпред (in front), отзад (at the back), отгоре (on top, above) and отдолу (underneath): Седни отпред. (Sit in the front.)

Watch out: пред is about place and преди is about time. Пред къщата means in front of the house, and преди обяд means before lunch (see преди and след).

Examples (6)

  1. Котката спи под масата.

    The cat is sleeping under the table.

  2. Над леглото има голяма снимка.

    There is a big photo above the bed.

  3. Чакам те пред киното.

    I am waiting for you in front of the cinema.

  4. Паркът е зад училището.

    The park is behind the school.

  5. Седни до мен!

    Sit next to me!

    After a preposition, the pronoun takes its full form мен.

  6. Аптеката е между банката и пощата.

    The pharmacy is between the bank and the post office.

Common Mistakes

  • Using преди (before, in time) for a place.

    Чакам те преди къщата.
    Чакам те пред къщата.

    Пред means in front of a place. Преди is only for time, as in преди обяд (before lunch).

  • Using a preposition with nothing after it.

    Колата е зад.
    Колата е отзад.

    Зад needs a noun or pronoun after it, as in зад къщата. On its own, use the adverb отзад (at the back).

  • Writing the full article after a preposition.

    Котката спи под столът.
    Котката спи под стола.

    After a preposition a masculine noun takes the short article а/я, so write под стола.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

под/над/пред/зад/до/междуLevel 2Prepositions of Place

Learn This First

Prepositions of place build on в and до.

Words in This Pattern

подпредзадмежду