# ехавших в нашем направлении



## wonlon

как только мы достигли вершины, то заметили пятерых всадников, ехавших *в нашем **направлении* (_prep. case_),

I found this sentence in my grammar reference book. I wonder if it should be *в наше направление* (accu. case), since в/на + acc. (not + prep.) indicates direction towards. But I am not a good judge, is the book wrong?


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## LilianaB

It should be *направлении *unfortunately, but I do not know exactly why*.  *


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## Explorer41

Hello, *wonlon,*

Consider: "ехать в деревню" vs "ехать в направлении деревни". So your reference book is right.

Think of it as here is employed a metaphore like "inside a direction", "conforming to the direction", "belonging to the direction"


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## rusita preciosa

Just memorize that *в направлении *requires prep. case.

If you want an explanation, consider that *в направлении *is not a destination but a "location" (e.g. в доме (prep) vs. в дом (acc.)).


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## wonlon

Explorer41 said:


> Hello, *wonlon,*
> 
> Consider: "ехать в деревню" vs "ехать в направлении деревни". So your reference book is right.
> 
> Think of it as here is employed a metaphore like "inside a direction", "conforming to the direction", "belonging to the direction"



You mean imagining направление like a "room", and ехать takes place *within this "room"*? Just like "*play* tennis *(with)in the tennis court*"?

That looks interesting.


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## Syline

wonlon said:


> как только мы достигли вершины, то заметили пятерых всадников, ехавших *в нашем **направлении* (_prep. case_),
> 
> I found this sentence in my grammar reference book. I wonder if it should be *в наше направление* (accu. case), since в/на + acc. (not + prep.) indicates direction towards. But I am not a good judge, is the book wrong?


It's correct. 
"В направлении" is a set expression, translates as "in the direction of, towards". Direction (направление) can't be an object of direction so that you can put it in the Accusative.


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## Explorer41

wonlon said:


> You mean imagining направление like a "room", and ехать takes place *within this "room"*? Just like "*play* tennis *(with)in the tennis court*"?
> 
> That looks interesting.


Interesting, indeed. For me, too  . I should put it more precisely: I mean, it's the movement who "belongs" to the direction in some way (of course, it's not a spatial, but rather logical "belonging").

Well, that is -- a logical "room"


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## wonlon

Explorer41 said:


> Interesting, indeed. For me, too  . I should put it more precisely: I mean, it's the movement who "belongs" to the direction in some way.



Why say "belong"? Can в + prep. indicate belonging?.


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## Explorer41

Please, don't bother of my exact words. I had to choose a word to explain to you and to myself what I feel. That all are words needed to explain a thing, and we use them more or less freely; and, if something is located within a room, then it "belongs" to the room, does it? I had just to express that this "(with)in"-relation is logical, not spatial.


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## wonlon

Explorer41 said:


> Please, don't bother of my exact words. I had to choose a word to explain to you and to myself what I feel. That all are words needed to explain, and we use them more or less freely; and, if something is located within a room, then it "belongs" to the room, does it? I had just to express that this "(with)in"-relation is logical, not spatial.



Я понял. Спасибо!


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## morzh

There are few expressions like this:

В направлен*ии*, в налич*ии*. в течен*ии, *в положен*ии* - the prepositional case requires "-ии". As long as these are nouns ending with "-ие", the prep. case will require "ии".

However, there is a notable case of "в течен*ие*".
This is because this whole thing is a complex preposition (a noun-formed one) and it is used in expressions like "в течение времени".

Just remember this.


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## wonlon

morzh said:


> There are few expressions like this:
> 
> В направлен*ии*, в налич*ии*. в течен*ии, *в положен*ии* - the prepositional case requires "-ии". As long as these are nouns ending with "-ие", the prep. case will require "ии".
> 
> However, there is a notable case of "в течен*ие*".
> This is because this whole thing is a complex preposition (a noun-formed one) and it is used in expressions like "в течение времени".
> 
> Just remember this.



What? "в течен*ие*" is in prepositional case? I always think it is accusative.


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## Explorer41

wonlon said:


> What? "в течен*ие*" is in prepositional case? I always think it is accusative.


You are right, it is accusative. *morzh* just cited a few examples, where an abstract noun is in the prepositional case and goes together with the preposition "в", and then said that there exist also examples where an abstract noun comes after "в" in the accusative (like in "в течение").


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## Maroseika

wonlon said:


> What? "в течен*ие*" is in prepositional case? I always think it is accusative.



В плавное течение его жизни ворвалась любовь.
В тихом течении реки отражалась луна. 

Complex preposition в течение (during) is formed from течение in Acc.


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## morzh

wonlon said:


> What? "в течен*ие*" is in prepositional case? I always think it is accusative.




You misunderstood. "В течение" is a preposition (a complex, noun-based preposition). *Not* a prepositional *case*. (I can see it's been explained to you already).


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## wonlon

morzh said:


> You misunderstood. "В течение" is a preposition (a complex, noun-based preposition). *Not* a prepositional *case*. (I can see it's been explained to you already).



Oh... really? I catch it now with your emphasis of it.


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