у vs от

u vs ot — at/by someone vs from someone

What it really means

У identifies a person or place as the point where something is located, available, or obtained: у Анны means “at Anna’s” or “Anna has,” and у врача means “at the doctor’s.” With possession, Russian literally presents the possessor as a location: у меня есть время, “I have time.”

От means “from” a person or source and marks the starting point of an action, message, or object. Compare письмо у Анны, “the letter is with Anna,” with письмо от Анны, “a letter from Anna.” Use у for where something or someone is, and от for who or what it comes from.

Examples in natural speech

Я сейчас у бабушки.
I am at my grandmother’s right now.
У него есть хороший план.
He has a good plan.
Мне пришло сообщение от коллеги.
I received a message from a colleague.
Мы получили совет от врача.
We received advice from the doctor.
Ключи лежат у администратора.
The keys are with the administrator.

Common mistakes

Do not translate every English “from someone” with у: advice от друга comes from a friend, while advice у друга is advice that is at or with the friend. For possession, use у + genitive, not от: у меня есть книга means “I have a book.”

Memory tip

У marks the person who has or holds something; от points back to its human source.

Frequently asked questions

Why does у меня mean “I have”?

Russian expresses possession as something being at a person: у меня есть книга, literally “there is a book at me.”

What case follows у and от?

Both prepositions normally take the genitive: у брата and от брата.

Can у mean “near”?

Yes. У дома means “by or near the house,” while от дома means “from the house.”

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