при + Locative
Locative After При
Use 'при' + Locative to say something is 'by', 'at', or 'affiliated with' something else, or to describe something happening 'in the presence of' someone.
How It Works
The preposition при is a specific spatial and relational marker in Ukrainian. It exclusively governs the locative case, making it easier to use than prepositions like у/в or на which can take multiple cases.
- Spatial Proximity: It indicates being right next to something, often implying a fixed position. For example, при дорозі (by the road).
- Institutional Affiliation: It describes an organization that is part of or attached to a larger one. For example, a clinic при університеті (at/affiliated with the university).
- Presence/Witness: It is used to say something happened in front of someone. For example, при мені (in my presence/in front of me).
- Possession/Availability: It indicates having something on one's person. For example, мати документи при собі (to have documents on oneself).
- Fixed Expressions: It appears in set phrases like при грошах (having money) or при тямі (conscious).
Note: In modern Ukrainian, avoid using при for conditions. Instead, use за умови.
Examples (4)
- При університеті відкрили нову бібліотеку.
A new library was opened at (affiliated with) the university.
Word by Word: At university opened new library.
Here 'при' indicates that the library is part of the university's infrastructure.
- Не говори про це при дітях.
Don't talk about this in front of the children.
Word by Word: Not speak about this in-presence-of children.
In this context, 'при' means 'in the presence of'.
- Мій будинок стоїть при самій дорозі.
My house stands right by the road.
Word by Word: My house stands by very road.
This shows immediate spatial proximity.
- Він був при тямі після аварії.
He was conscious after the accident.
Word by Word: He was at consciousness after accident.
'При тямі' is a fixed expression meaning 'conscious'.
Common Mistakes
Using the Genitive case instead of the Locative after 'при'.
при дорогипри дорозіLearners often confuse 'при' with 'біля', which takes the genitive. 'При' always requires the locative case.
Using 'при' to mean 'about' (a common error for those familiar with Russian).
Я думаю при тебе.Я думаю про тебе.In Ukrainian, 'about' is expressed using the preposition про with the accusative case, never 'при'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand how to use the preposition 'при', you first need to be familiar with the Locative case endings for nouns of different genders, which are typically introduced through the prepositions 'в/у' or 'на'.
- в/у + LocativeLocative Place with В/у
Understanding the Locative case endings for nouns is essential, as the preposition 'при' uses the same case forms as 'в/у' when denoting location.
Level 2 - Masculine noun gender
Knowledge of noun genders is necessary to apply the correct Locative case endings.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- на + LocativeLocative Place with На
Both use the locative case; 'на' is for surfaces or specific locations, while 'при' is for proximity/affiliation.
Level 2 - проPreposition Про
Used for 'about', which is a common point of confusion for learners trying to use 'при'.
Level 1 - за умови щоFormal Condition За Умови Що
The preferred way to express conditions in modern Ukrainian, rather than using 'при'.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice при + Locative in Bubblegum
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