Home/Vocabulary/“I live in…”
A1How to sayya zhivú v…

How to say “I live in…” in Russian

The sentence that follows the question — and the endings that make it right.

Quick answer

Я живу́ в…

ya zhivú v… — в + prepositional for towns and countries, на for a few regions

The options

Я живу́ в Берли́не.I live in Berlin.
Я живу́ в Германии.I live in Germany.
Я живу́ в це́нтре.I live in the centre.
Я живу́ оди́н / одна́.I live alone.
Я живу́ с семьёй.I live with my family.

The endings

Most place names take -е: Москва́ → в Москве́, Берли́н → в Берли́не, Ло́ндон → в Ло́ндоне. Names in -ия take -ии: Германия → в Германии, Росси́я → в Росси́и. Foreign names ending in -о or -и do not change at all: в Чика́го, в Со́чи.

Who with

С + instrumental: с семьёй (with my family), с жено́й (with my wife), с му́жем (with my husband), с друзья́ми (with friends). Alone is simply оди́н / одна́, agreeing with you.

What you hear back

О, я была́ в Берли́не!Oh, I’ve been to Berlin!
Как там?What’s it like there?
Далеко́!That’s far!

Typical mistakes

Я живу́ в Россия.

Я живу́ в Росси́и.

Names in -ия take -ии.

Я живу́ с семья́.

Я живу́ с семьёй.

с takes the instrumental.

Check yourself

Which is correct?

Countries in -ия take -ии in the prepositional.

Want it all in one place?

Russian Basics has Cyrillic, the cases and 1,000 words in one PDF — stress marked on every word, exercises with answers.

Get the guide — $19