с/со + Source

Source with С or Со

Level 1Sounds Like s/so + istočnik

The preposition с (or со) is used with the Genitive case to mean 'from' or 'off'. It is the opposite of the preposition на.

How It Works

The preposition с/со governs the Genitive case when it indicates origin, movement from a place, or a starting point in time. It is used in three main scenarios:

1. Movement off a surface: If you put something on (на) a table, you take it off (со) the table (со стола).
2. Movement from an event or specific locations: Russian uses на for activities (work, concert, lesson) and certain locations (station, factory). When leaving these, you must use с (с работы, с почты).
3. Time (Since/From): To say 'since morning' or 'from Monday', use с (с утра, с понедельника).

Important Note: Do not use с for people. To say 'from a person', use от.

Phonological Variant 'со':
We use со instead of с to make pronunciation easier before difficult consonant clusters. This usually happens before words starting with с, з, ш, ж followed by another consonant (e.g., со стола) or specific clusters like ль (e.g., со льда).

Examples (4)

  1. Я иду с работы.

    I am coming from work.

    Word by Word: I go from work.

    Since 'work' (работа) takes the preposition 'на', its opposite for 'from' must be 'с'.

  2. Книга упала со стола.

    The book fell off the table.

    Word by Word: Book fell off table.

    'Со' is used here because 'стол' starts with a 'ст' cluster. It indicates movement off a surface.

  3. Мы вернулись с концерта.

    We returned from the concert.

    Word by Word: We returned from concert.

    Events like concerts always use 'на' for 'to' and 'с' for 'from'.

  4. Он приехал со станции.

    He arrived from the station.

    Word by Word: He arrived from station.

    'Станция' (station) is a location that traditionally takes 'на/с' in Russian.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'с' to mean 'from a person'.

    Я пришёл с врача.
    Я пришёл от врача.

    When you are coming from a person, you must use the preposition 'от'. The preposition 'с' is only for surfaces, events, or locations that take 'на'.

  • Using 'из' for activities like work or school.

    Я пришёл из работы.
    Я пришёл с работы.

    Russian prepositions are paired. Because we say 'на работу' (to work), we must use 'с работы' (from work). The preposition 'из' is only for 'в' locations.

  • Forgetting to change the noun to the Genitive case.

    Я иду с работа.
    Я иду с работы.

    When indicating origin or movement 'from', the preposition 'с' always requires the Genitive case.

How It Connects

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с/со + SourceLevel 1Source with С or Со

Learn This First

To understand 'с/со' as a source, you must first be familiar with the locations that use the preposition 'на', as 'с' is their logical counterpart. You should also understand the general concept of expressing a point of origin (source) and the question 'откуда' (where from).

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