Spatial and Temporal Prepositions in Legal Language: English, German, Ukrainian, and Russian Compared

Autor: Tymur Levitin
© Tymur Levitin — founder and head teacher of Levitin Language School / Start Language School by Tymur Levitin
Category: Legal Language and Translation

Wprowadzenie

Prepositions are among the trickiest elements to translate, especially in legal, administrative, or official contexts. Expressions like “by September 10,” “from the day of the event,” “within 10 meters of the entrance,” or “not later than the tenth day” may seem universal, but their interpretation can shift depending on grammar, legal tradition, or cultural norms.

This article offers an in-depth comparative analysis of spatial and temporal prepositions in Angielski, Niemiecki, Ukraińskioraz Rosyjski, with specific attention to legal phrasing. It covers real-world usage in legal texts, linguistic nuance, and region-specific interpretations — all based on real experience in translation and teaching.

1. Spatial Prepositions and Legal Boundaries

Let’s start with physical space — because even seemingly simple phrases like “within 10 meters” can trigger confusion in legal or official contexts.

🚪 Example: “Parking is prohibited within 10 meters of the entrance.”

• Angielski: within 10 meters of the entrance — interpreted from the entrance.
• Niemiecki: innerhalb von 10 Metern vom Eingang entfernt — also counted from the object.
• Ukraiński: не ближче ніж за 10 метрів від входу — preposition від indicates the object is the reference point.
• Rosyjski: не ближе чем в 10 метрах от входа - от marks the starting point of measurement.

✅ In all four languages, the object (entrance) is the origin of the distance. The rule applies to:

• parking laws
• construction codes
• protest permissions
• security regulations (e.g., “no closer than 100 meters to the polling station”)

📌 Key note: The “reference point” is crucial. A phrase like “10 meters to the entrance” can be misleading unless explicitly framed from the object.

2. Temporal Prepositions and Legal Deadlines

Deadlines can be dangerously ambiguous. Let’s compare how each language handles “by,” “until,” “from,” and similar expressions.

🕓 Case A: “Documents must be submitted by September 10.”

• Angielski: by September 10 — deadline is before the start of Sept 10, so 11:59 PM on Sept 9 is the last acceptable moment.
• Niemiecki: bis zum 10. September — includes September 10, up to midnight.
• Ukraiński: до 10 вересня — includes Sept 10 in practice (до is interpreted inclusively in legal use).
• Rosyjski: до 10 сентября — also includes the 10th, unless specified otherwise.

📌 Important correction: In electoral law in Ukraine, the phrase до дня голосування (“until the day of voting”) does nie include the day of the event itself.

• ✅ Ukrainian Electoral Code: If a law says до дня голосування, that day is excluded. But if the law says не пізніше 10 вересня (“no later than Sept 10”), then September 10 is included.

💡 English comparison:

• by September 10 ≈ excluding the event day in electoral law (documents must arrive before the day starts).
• no later than September 10 ≈ including the date — documents can arrive during that day.

📅 Example: “Documents must be submitted by September 10”

• ❌ Invalid: Sent at 00:00 on Sept 10 (too late!)
• ✅ Valid: Sent before 23:59 on Sept 9

🕓 Case B: “Not later than the tenth day from the date of event.”

If the event happens on Sept 1:

🎯 Legal interpretations:

• Ukrainian Civil Code: з дня події usually includes the day.
• Criminal Code may differ — start of detention might exclude the day.
• Electoral law: depends. For starting processes — includes. For end points (e.g., voting day) — excludes.

🧠 Example from Ukrainian law:

• “З дня початку виборчого процесу — не пізніше 10 днів” → “No later than 10 days from the start of the election process.” If the process begins on September 1, then Day 1 = Sept 1, and the deadline is September 10 (inclusive).
• “До дня голосування” → “Until Election Day.” If Election Day is September 10, then the deadline is September 9 (exclusive).

📘 English: No later than the tenth day from the start of the election process → includes start date → deadline = Sept 10.

✅ This distinction must be handled manually in legal translations — there is no one-size-fits-all.

3. Legal Differences in “From” / “Since” / “After”

Let’s break down real phrases across languages:

🧠 In all cases: from = includes date.

But:

• after Sept 1 = excludes Sept 1 (next day is Sept 2).
• після 1 вересня / nach dem 1. September / после 1 сентября = Sept 2 onwards.

⚖️ Difference with since:

• Angielski: since Sept 1 = includes Sept 1, but only with Perfect tenses, continuity to present.
• Niemiecki: seit dem 1. September.
• Ukraiński: відтоді, з того часу.
• Rosyjski: с тех пор, начиная с 1 сентября.

4. “Until” and the Cutoff Logic

📌 Until Sept 10 = stay until some moment on Sept 10, but not necessarily all day.

• Wait here until I return → moment of return is included.

📌 By Sept 10 = something must be finished before that moment.

• He had finished by the time I arrived → it was done before.

5. Resignation and Dismissal Dates

• “Прошу звільнити з 10 вересня” - “Please release me from Sept 10” → Sept 10 is the first day of non-employment, so last working day is Sept 9.
• “Прошу звільнити 10 вересня” - “Please release me on Sept 10” → Sept 10 is the last day of work.

✅ This distinction applies in:

• all Slavic languages
• most legal documents
• termination notices and contracts

English terms: release from employment, dismiss, fire.
Niemiecki: kündigen, entlassen, freistellen.
Ukraiński: звільнити за власним бажанням / звільнити з ініціативи роботодавця.
Rosyjski: уволить (employer) / уволиться (employee).

6. Expanded Comparative Table with Translations

7. Additional Use Cases

📍 Legal documents: subpoenas, court deadlines.
📍 Electoral documents: party registrations, filings.
📍 Civil law: resignation, contract start dates.
📍 Criminal law: detention calculations.
📍 Administrative rules: parking, permits.
📍 Business law: payment deadlines, delivery terms.

8. Conclusion

Prepositions carry legal weight — and errors in translation can cause loss of rights, invalid contracts, or missed deadlines.

Understanding what is included or excluded by до, від, з, by, until, ab is critical. English, German, Ukrainian, and Russian differ not only in grammar, but in law, practice, and even in regional habits (US through, Swiss bis und mit, Ukrainian до дня голосування, Russian к).

This guide is the flagship. Each block here will become a separate detailed article — From vs Since, By vs Until, Resignation vs Fire, Electoral deadlines.

For now, this article closes the biggest gaps and shows the traps.

🔗 Explore More:

• English Language Learning
• German Language Learning
• Ukrainian Language Learning

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© Tymur Levitin — founder, director, and senior teacher at Szkoła Językowa Levitin / Start Szkoła Językowa Tymura Levitina
Kategoria: Legal Language and Translation