под vs над
pod vs nad — under vs above/over
Register: neutral
What it really means
Под means under/beneath; над means above/over. For location both usually take instrumental: под столом, над столом. With motion toward a place they take accusative: под стол, над головой is normally location.
Examples in natural speech
Кот спит под столом.
The cat sleeps under the table.
Лампа висит над столом.
The lamp hangs over the table.
Поставь сумку под стул.
Put the bag under the chair.
Над городом летит самолёт.
A plane flies over the city.
Под мостом течёт река.
A river flows under the bridge.
Common mistakes
Do not use genitive for ordinary location: под столом, над домом. Accusative signals directed placement with под.
Memory tip
Под is below; над is above—instrumental describes where.
Frequently asked questions
Location case?
Usually instrumental.
Motion under a table?
Под стол.
How say above the city?
Над городом.
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