Preposition
по
The preposition
по
used with noun in the dative case denotes movement along a surface. A
noun with no indicates the surface on which the movement occurs and answers the
question
где?
where?
Дети бегали
по
двору.
The children were running about in the yard.
Где
дети бегали?
Where do the children play?
Автобусы едут
по шоссе.
The buses are plying along the highway.
Где едут
автобусы?
Where are the buses plying?
Туристы гуляли
по берегу реки.
The tourists were strolling along the bank of the
river.
Где гуляли
туристы?
Where were the tourists strolling?
A noun in the dative case with
no
used after
the following verbs
denotes a surface.
бить
to beat
стучить
to knock, to patter
ударять
to
strike
Он ударил
кулаком
по столу.
Не banged the table with his fist.
По чему Он ударил кулаком?
What did hе bang with his fist?
Дождь
стучал
по крыше.
The rain was pattering on the roof.
По чему
дождь
стучал?
Where was the rain pattering?
По
with noun in the dative case is used to denote the place of action within
a whole:
По всей стране распространилось
движение сторонников мира.
The movement of champions of peace has spread all
over the country.
По
with noun in the dative case is used to denote the place of action
at different points
По фабрикам и заводам
устраивались митинги.
Meetings were held at factories and plants.
По
with noun in the dative case is used to denote the
place of action from one point to another.
Мы ходили
по
магазинам.
We went from shop to shop.
По
with noun in the
dative case is used to denote the place of action in different directions:
После собрания все разошлись
по домам.
After the meeting everybody went.
По
with noun in the dative case is used to denote an action recurring at
definite intervals
Доктор принимает
больных
по вторникам и субботам.
The doctor receives patients on Tuesday and
Saturday.
Когда
доктор
принимает
больных?
When does the doctor receive patients?
Note: (but you cannot say по
дням)
Этот инженер
работает
по вечерам, иногда
по ночам.
The engineer works in the evenings and some times at
night.
Когда
этот
инженер работает?
When does the engineer work?
По
with noun in the dative case is used with noun in prepositional case
denotes the cause of action and answers the question почему?
why?
Максим отсутствовал на лекции
по болезни.
Maxim did not attend
the lectures due to illness.
Почему
Максим
отсутствовал
на лекции?
Why did not Maxim attend the lectures?
Ученик
сделал
ошибку
по небрежности.
The pupil made a mistake due to carelessness.
Она
разбила вазу
по неосторожности.
She broke the vase because of her carelessness.
The preposition
no
used
with noun in
the dative case
denotes specialty or occupation
Специалист
по
литературе.
A specialist in literature.
Работа
по
физике.
A work on physics.
Занятия
по
математике.
Lessons
in
mathematics.
Семинар
по политэкономии.
A seminar on political economy.
По
with noun in the dative case is used in the sense of according to, under,
in conformity with, on the basis of:
работать
по
плану
to work according to plan
заниматься
по
расписанию
to study according to the time-table
сделать
что-либо
по
просьбе
to do something at
(somebody's) request
сделать
что-либо
по
приказу
to do something at (somebody's) order
сделать
что-либо
по
требованию
to do something at (somebody's) urgent request
По
with noun in
the dative case
is
used to denote the attribute of an object
Я
узнал его по
голосу,
по походке.
I recognised him by his voice, by his gait.
Китай
превосходит
Индию по
численности
населения.
По
with noun in the
dative case
is
used to denote distribution of objects singly.
Каждый
студент
получил
по
учёбнику.
Every student
got a textbook.
Сона
купила два
конфеты
по
рупею.
Sona bought two candies at one rupee each.
По
with noun in the dative case
is used to
denote the means of
communication in the
following phrases:
послать
письмо
по
почте
to send a letter by
post
позвонить
по телефону
to
telephone
говорить
по
телефону
to speak by telephone
сообщить
по
телеграфу
to inform by
telegraph
выступать
по
радио
to speak (perform) on
the wireless
слушать
по
радио
to listen (to something) over
the wireless
по
used with
accusative
The preposition
no
followed by the accusative is
used to denote distribution of objects in two, three, etc.
Все
купили
по две
книги.
They all bought two books each.
Каждый
получил
по
четыре
яблока.
They all got four apples each.
Note.
The dative is used
to denote distribution of objects singly.
Дети
получили
по
яблоку.
The children got an
apple each.
Either the
accusative or the dative is used with numerals (from five on)
either the accusative or the dative plural is used:
по
пять
яблок
five apples
or
по
пяти
яблок.
five apples
по
is used to
denote the price of each of a number of objects of the same kind.
Студент
купил
четыре тетради
по две копейки (but: одну
тетрадь за
две копейки).
The Student bought four exercise books at two copecks each, (one exercise book for two copecks).
Note.
If the nouns
копейка (copeck), рубль (rouble),
доллар (dollar) etc.
are used without a numeral, they take the dative:
Я купил четыре
тетради
по доллару.
I bought four exercise book at ten copecks each.
The preposition
no
till is used to denote the end of
a time period and answers the question
по
какое
время?
till when?
Учитель получил
отпуск
по первое сентября
The teacher got a holiday till the first of
September.
По какое время учитель получил
отпуск?
Till what time did the teacher get holiday?
The preposition no up to is used to denote a limit.
Воды в ручье
было
по колено (до колен).
The water in the brook was knee deep.
У
него работы
по горло.
He is up to the neck in
work.