про

See also: ПРО, про-, and Appendix:Variations of "pro"

Russian edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Old East Slavic про (pro), from Proto-Slavic *pro, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *pra, from Proto-Indo-European *pró.

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): [prə]
IPA^(key): [prɐ] (before a stressed syllable)
Audio (file)
IPA^(key): [ˈpro] (when stressed)

Preposition edit

про • (pro) (+ accusative case)

about, concerning
А э́тот расска́з про тебя́. ― A étot rasskáz pro tebjá. ― This story is about you.

Ты про меня́ ли́чно? ― Ty pro menjá líčno? ― Are you talking about me personally?
(colloquial) for
А э́тот газ не про вас. ― A étot gaz ne pro vas. ― This gas is not for you.

про чёрный день ― pro čórnyj denʹ ― for a rainy day (alteration of на чёрный день (na čórnyj denʹ))

про вся́кий слу́чай ― pro vsjákij slúčaj ― just in case (alteration of на вся́кий слу́чай (na vsjákij slúčaj, literally “for any case”))

Usage notes edit

As a rule, про (pro) has a more superficial meaning than о (o) and is often used to merely indicate or inquire about a specific object of a story, narration, piece of text, someone's knowledge, etc.