PREPOSITION “IZ”

In the LPQR language, the preposition “iz”, followed by a noun, primarily denotes the starting position of the movement or displacement of an object.

The noun must refer to a flat or three-dimensional space.

• Vǐidti iz svoj dom. — To leave one’s home.

• Pojezd iz Moskva. — A train from Moscow.

• Dostatj iz karman. — To take something out of a pocket.

If the starting position of the movement is a point, a line, or the surface of an object, it is preferable to use the preposition “ot”.

Other meanings of the preposition “iz” are derived from its spatial meaning.

2. Leaving a state or changing from one state to another

• Vǐidti iz njeprijatnǐj situacija — to get out of an unpleasant situation

• Pjerjeidti iz tvjordǐj sostojanije v sostojanije-gaz — to change from a solid state into a gaseous state

3. Obtaining information from a source

• Uznatj iz gazetǐ — to learn from newspapers

• Polučitj informacija iz nadjožnǐj istočnik — to obtain information from a reliable source

The source of information is regarded here as an inanimate object. If the information is obtained from a person or another active entity, such as an artificial intelligence, the preposition “ot” should be used.

4. Origin from a geographical place

This applies to a country, city, continent, etc.

— Vǐ otkuda?
— Ja iz Senegal. A vǐ?
— Ja iz Ruanda.
— Mǐ, odin-i-drugoj, iz Afrika.

5. Former membership in a group

• Cvjetok iz buket

This is said of a flower if it has been taken out of a bouquet.

For a flower that is currently in the bouquet, it is preferable to say:

• cvjetok v buket

Etot ljudj proishodit iz krjestj’janǐ.

This means that this person or his ancestors were formerly peasants, but he is no longer a peasant and now works in a different field rather than in agriculture.

To indicate current membership in a group, the preposition “iz” is generally not recommended. There is, however, one exception to this principle. The preposition “iz” may be used to single out an element from a group, indicating its distinction from the other elements:

• samǐj horošǐj iz nas

• samǐj staršǐj iz bratǐ

• samǐj ljubimǐj iz knigi

The element is conceptually “taken out” of the group.

The preposition “iz” is also used to indicate the material of which an object is made, or the complete set of parts making up a whole:

• Paletot iz drap — a coat made of cloth

• Broš iz aurum — a brooch made of gold

• Kolektiv iz dvadzati ljudi — a group consisting of twenty people

• Stado iz njeskoljko korovǐ — a herd consisting of several cows

The object is conceptually “extracted” from the material, while the whole is conceptually “extracted” from the collection of its constituent parts.

Compound forms with “iz”

Combined with other words—other prepositions, adverbs, or nouns—the preposition “iz” forms compounds that likewise denote the starting position of a movement. They can be regarded either as prepositions or as adverbs (otkuda-adverbǐ):

• iz-nad — from above

• iz-pod — from below

• iz-vjerh — from above

• iz-niz — from below

• iz-vnutrj — from inside; there is also the adverb iznutri

• iz-vnje — from outside; it may also be written as one word, izvnje

• iz-ljevjeje — from the left side; from the left of

• iz-pravjeje — from the right side; from the right of

• iz-pjerjed — from the area in front of an object

• iz-okolo — from the area around an object

• iz-mježdu — from the area between objects

• iz-za — from the area behind an object

• iz-daljeko — from afar; from a great distance

• iz-blizko — from nearby; from a short distance

The preposition “iz-za” must be distinguished from “izza”, which expresses causal relations.

Some examples:

• Vǐtašitj kniga iz-pod stol — to pull a book out from under the table

• On smotrjel iz-pod odejalo. — He looked out from under the blanket.

• Vǐidti iz-pered dom. — To come out from in front of the house.

• Prihoditj iz-nad oblaki — to come from above the clouds

• Voda tjekl iz-nad skalǐ — Water flowed from above the rocks.

• Proidti iz-leveje zdanije — to pass from the left side of the building

• Pereidti čerez doroga iz-praveje pjerekrjostok — to cross the road from the right side of the intersection

• Vzjatj kljuci iz-okolo dverj — to take the keys that are lying near the door

• On vǐšol iz-okolo magazin — He came out from the area around the shop.

• On vǐsunul ruka iz-za dvjerj, iz-meždu stvorki — He stuck his hand out from behind the door, from between the two door leaves.

Unlike the Russian preposition “из”, the LPQR preposition “iz” is not used to indicate a causal relationship. In most such cases, Russian expressions with из are translated using the preposition “izza”: