низ / преку / кон

Through Across and Toward

Level 3Sounds Like niz; preku; kon

Use these for movement: низ through a space, преку across to the other side, кон in the direction of something: Поминавме преку мостот. (We went across the bridge.)

How It Works

низ — through, around inside
Movement through an opening or around inside a space: Светлината влегува низ прозорецот. (The light comes in through the window.) Прошетавме низ градот. (We walked around the town.)

преку — across, over, via

  • Crossing to the other side: преку мостот (across the bridge), преку улицата (across the street).
  • By way of, through a person or medium: Купив билети преку интернет. (I bought tickets online.)
  • With parts of the day and year, during: преку ден (during the day), преку зима (in winter), преку лето (in summer).
  • With numbers, over or more than: преку илјада луѓе (over a thousand people).

кон — toward

  • Direction: Тргнавме кон морето. (We set off toward the sea.) It does not say that you reach it. To name where you are going, use во or на (see оди во; оди на).
  • With time or amounts, around or toward: кон пладне (around noon), кон крајот на месецот (toward the end of the month).
  • Attitude to someone: љубезен кон гостите (kind to the guests).

Like other prepositions, they take full pronouns: кон мене, низ нив. For along and around a surface, see also по + именка.

Examples (6)

  1. Прошетавме низ градот.

    We took a walk around the town.

    Word by Word: We-walked through town-the.

  2. Светлината влегува низ прозорецот.

    The light comes in through the window.

    Word by Word: Light-the enters through window-the.

  3. Поминавме преку мостот.

    We went across the bridge.

    Word by Word: We-passed across bridge-the.

  4. Преку зима живеат во Скопје, а преку лето на село.

    In winter they live in Skopje, and in summer in the village.

    Word by Word: Over winter they-live in Skopje, and over summer at village.

    With seasons, преку means during.

  5. Купив билети преку интернет.

    I bought tickets online.

    Word by Word: I-bought tickets via internet.

  6. Тргнавме кон морето рано наутро.

    We set off toward the sea early in the morning.

    Word by Word: We-set-off toward sea-the early in-morning.

Common Mistakes

  • Using кон to say where you are going.

    Утре одам кон Скопје на свадба.
    Утре одам во Скопје на свадба.

    Кон only gives a direction, so the first sentence means you are heading toward Skopje, not that Skopje is where the wedding is. Use во or на for the place you are going to.

  • Using a short pronoun after кон.

    Детето трчаше кон ме.
    Детето трчаше кон мене.

    After a preposition, the pronoun takes its full form: мене, тебе, него, неа, нас, вас, нив.

How It Connects

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

низ / преку / конLevel 3Through Across and Toward

Learn This First

Through and across combine spatial prepositions and motion.

Words in This Pattern

прекукон