With people and by transport

Use selected instrumental nouns and pronouns.

With somebody

з + instrumental expresses accompaniment: з другом (with a male friend), з подругою (with a female friend), з сестрою (with a sister). Learn зі мною (with me) and з вами (with you).

Transport and ingredients

автобусом = by bus; поїздом = by train, with no з in these means-of-travel phrases. кава з молоком = coffee with milk; хліб із сиром = bread with cheese. З/із/зі alternate for ease of pronunciation.

An instrument

Грати на гітарі = play the guitar. Despite the English term instrument, this phrase uses на + locative, not instrumental. Compare грати у футбол.

Я їду автобусом з другом.