против vs навстречу

protiv vs navstrechu — against/opposite vs toward/ to meet

What it really means

Против means “against,” “opposite,” or “contrary to,” and its prepositional complement is genitive. Навстречу means movement toward someone or something, or meeting an interest halfway; as a preposition it governs the dative. The adverbial навстречу can stand without a noun.

Examples in natural speech

Мы голосовали против этого предложения.
We voted against this proposal.
Аптека находится против театра.
The pharmacy is opposite the theatre.
Она пошла навстречу гостям.
She went to meet the guests.
Компания пошла навстречу клиенту.
The company accommodated the client.
Ветер дул навстречу лодке.
The wind blew toward the boat.

Common mistakes

Do not use the genitive after навстречу: навстречу другу, not навстречу друга. Do not translate “meet halfway” as против; навстречу can express a helpful concession, while против marks opposition.

Memory tip

Против pushes back; навстречу moves toward.

Frequently asked questions

What case does навстречу govern?

The dative: навстречу другу, навстречу переменам, навстречу новым требованиям.

Can навстречу describe compromise?

Yes: пойти навстречу просьбе or клиенту means to accommodate a request or client, not simply walk toward them.

Does против always mean opposition?

No; против дома means opposite the house, and против боли means for pain in some colloquial medical contexts, so context matters.

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