Preposition без

без without, minus, less

The preposition без denotes the absence of an object or a person, and answers the question без кого? without whom or без чего?without what?

Мохан пьёт чай без сахара.

Mohan drinks tea without sugar.

 

Винот идёт в кино без своей подруги.

Vinod is going for a movie without his girlfriend.

 

Note: The antonym of the preposition без in the above  meaning is с (followed by a noun in the instrumental).

Он  пришёл  без  дневника.

Не came without his diary.

 

Он пришёл с дневником.

Не came with his diary.

 

Мохан пьёт чай без сахара.

Mohan drinks my tea without sugar.

 

Мохан пьёт чай с сахаром

Mohan drinks my tea with sugar.

 

Дыма  без  огня   не бывает.

There is no smoke without fire.

 

A noun with без may denote the manner in which the action occurs. In such cases the noun with без answers the question как? how?

Студенты решили задачу без труда.           

The students solved the problem with out difficulty.

 

Как студенты решили задачу?

How did the students solve the problem?

 

Максим пишет по-анлийски без ошибок.  

Maxim writes English without mistakes.

 

Как Максим пишет по-анлийски?

How does Maxim write English?

 

The antonym of the preposition без in this meaning is с (fol­lowed by a noun in the instrumental).

Он решил задачу без труда. 

Не solved the problem without difficulty.

 

Студенты решили задачу без труда.           

The students solved the problem with out difficulty.

 

Студенты решили задачу с трудом.

The students solved the problem with difficulty.

 

Максим пишет по-анлийски без ошибок.  

Maxim writes English without mistakes.

 

Максим пишет по-анлийски с ошибами.  

Maxim writes English with mis­takes.

 

Без with noun in genitive is used to denote time.

Сейчас без пяти минут девять.     

It is five minutes to nine.

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