Belarusian Grammar List

The noun that receives the action of most verbs is in the accusative: Я чытаю кнігу (I am reading a book), Ён п'е каву (He drinks coffee), Мы глядзім фільм (We are watching a film). Only some nouns change their form.

Belarusian adjectives end in -ы/-і, -ая/-яя, -ае/-ое/-яе or -ыя/-ія to match a masculine, feminine, neuter or plural noun.

Akanye: in native words the letter о appears only under stress, and unstressed о and э are written а.

Ж, ш, ч, р, дж and the hard ц are always hard. After them Belarusian writes а, о, у, ы, э, where Russian often writes я, ё, ю, и, е.

A neutral Belarusian sentence follows subject, verb, object: Ганна чытае кнігу (Hanna is reading a book). Because endings show each word's role, the order can change to put new or important information last.

Present-tense endings show the person, so я, ты, мы and вы are often left out, especially in questions and short answers: Жыву ў Мінску (I live in Minsk), Што робіце? (What are you doing?).

Feminine nouns in -а and -я change to -у and -ю as direct objects: кніга becomes Я чытаю кнігу (I am reading a book), зямля becomes Мы бачым зямлю (We see land). Feminine nouns with no ending, like ноч or соль, do not change.

Feminine nouns usually end in -а or -я: мама (mom), кніга (book), зямля (earth). Some end in a soft consonant or ж, ш, ч, like соль (salt), радасць (joy) and ноч (night). They go with мая and adjectives in -ая: мая новая кніга.

First-conjugation verbs such as чытаць take endings with е: чытаю, чытаеш, чытае, чытаем, чытаеце, чытаюць. The ён/яна form ends in a vowel with no -ць.

The letter г stands for the fricative [ɣ]; only a few words such as ганак and гузік have [g].

Inanimate masculine nouns, neuter nouns and feminine nouns with no ending keep their dictionary form as objects: Я бачу стол (I see a table), Адчыні акно (Open the window), Я люблю восень (I love autumn). Plural things do not change either.

The present tense of быць (to be) is normally not said at all. Two words side by side already mean "X is Y".

Masculine nouns usually end in a consonant (стол, table), -ь (дзень, day) or -й (чай, tea). A few nouns for men end in -а but stay masculine: бацька (father), мужчына (man). They go with мой and masculine adjectives: мой новы стол.

Most neuter nouns end in stressed -о or -ё (акно, window; жыццё, life) or, because of akanye, in unstressed -а or -е (слова, word; мора, sea; поле, field). These -а nouns are still neuter and take маё and adjectives in -ае: новае слова.

The nominative is the dictionary form. It marks the subject, the person or thing that does the action or is described: Мама працуе (Mom works), Кніга ляжыць на стале (The book is on the table).

Every noun is masculine, feminine or neuter: стол (table) is masculine, кніга (book) is feminine and акно (window) is neuter. Adjectives, possessives and past-tense verbs change their endings to match.

Most plurals end in -ы after hard consonants and -і after soft consonants and г, к, х: студэнты (students), кнігі (books), дні (days). Neuter nouns do the same: словы (words), вокны (windows), палі (fields). The stress often moves, so vowels can change.

Learn the numbers one to ten and the three noun patterns that follow them: адзін дзень, два браты, пяць хвілін.

Second-conjugation verbs such as рабіць and гаварыць take endings with і (ы after a hard consonant): раблю, робіш, робіць, робім, робіце, робяць. The яны form ends in -аць or -яць.

Belarusian writes an apostrophe where Russian writes the separating ъ or ь: сям'я (family), аб'ява (announcement). The consonant stays hard, and the vowel starts with [j].

The official alphabet has 32 letters: 10 vowels, 21 consonants and the soft sign ь. Compared with Russian, it adds і and ў and does not use и, щ or ъ.

The infinitive is the "to do" form you find in the dictionary. It ends in -ць after a vowel (чытаць), -ці after a consonant (ісці, несці) and -чы in verbs such as пячы and магчы.

Belarusian nouns have six cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental and locative. Each case has its own question words, and verbs and prepositions choose the case. Some nouns also have a vocative form for calling someone.

Where the soft sign ь is written in the official spelling, and where it is not.

Tsekanye and dzekanye: soft т became ц and soft д became дз, and the spelling shows it.

Word stress: where it falls, how it moves, and how the spelling gives it away.

Yakanye: е and ё turn into я in the syllable just before the stress.

The everyday "How are you?" question and the usual short answers.

Asking and giving names: the person named is the object, so you say мяне, цябе or вас, not я or ты.

Адкуль means where from. It is usually answered with з plus the genitive, as in Адкуль вы? Я з Мінска (Where are you from? I am from Minsk).

Use але (but) for a real contrast or limitation, always with a comma before it: Дом стары, але ўтульны.

Вы speaks to two or more people, or politely to one person you do not know well. It always takes the plural verb form.

With вы the verb ends in -еце (чытаеце), -аце after a hard consonant (пішаце, бераце), -яце when the stress falls on the ending (ідзяце), or -іце/-ыце in the second conjugation (робіце).

Гэта introduces or names something: Гэта мой брат (This is my brother). In this use it stays the same before any noun, singular or plural.

Put не right before the noun phrase you deny: Гэта не кава (This is not coffee). Often the right answer follows, after a comma or а.

Да пабачэння (goodbye) works everywhere. With friends, say бывай to one person, бывайце to several, or да сустрэчы (see you).

The two Belarusian affricates дж and дз, and how they swap in verb forms.

Дзе means where, in the sense of in what place. The answer usually uses у or на with the locative, or a place word such as тут, там or дома.

Say дзякуй or вялікі дзякуй to thank someone. Дзякую (I thank) puts the person in the dative: Дзякую вам. The reason follows за: дзякуй за дапамогу.

Use добры дзень (good day) with anyone during the day, добрай раніцы (good morning) in the morning and добры вечар (good evening) in the evening. Дабранач (good night) is said when parting before sleep.

З with the genitive says where someone or something comes from: Я з Мінска (I am from Minsk), Яна з Польшчы (She is from Poland), ліст з дому (a letter from home). It answers адкуль? (where from?).

Use калі ласка to ask politely (please), to answer thanks (you're welcome) and to hand something over (here you are). In a sentence it is set off by commas.

In a question, калі means when: Калі ты вольны? (When are you free?). The same word also means when and if in statements, and it is part of калі ласка (please).

Колькі means how many or how much. A noun after it is in the genitive: Колькі ў вас дзяцей? (How many children do you have?). It also asks prices: Колькі гэта каштуе?

Куды means where to. Use it with verbs of movement or placement such as ісці, ехаць and класці, and answer with у or на plus the accusative, or with дадому.

Любіць (to love, to like) takes an infinitive for activities or an accusative object for people and things: Я люблю чытаць (I like to read), Ён любіць музыку (He loves music).

Мой, твой, наш and ваш agree with the noun they describe: мой брат, мая сястра, маё акно, мае бацькі.

Мы means we and takes the мы verb form. Мы з сястрой usually means "my sister and I", not a larger group.

With мы the verb ends in -ем (чытаем), -ём when stressed (ідзём), -ом when stressed after a hard consonant (бяром), -ам when unstressed after one (пішам), or -ім/-ым in the second conjugation (робім, гаворым).

На with the locative means on or at, especially for surfaces, open spaces and events: на стале (on the table), на вуліцы (outside, on the street), на працы (at work), на канцэрце (at a concert). Some places always take на, so learn them with it.

To say that something does not happen, put не right before the verb: Я не ведаю (I do not know), Яна не працуе сёння (She is not working today). Belarusian needs no helper verb like English do.

Saying in which language someone speaks, reads, writes or understands: па-беларуску, па-англійску, па-польску.

Say прабачце (or выбачайце, даруйце) to apologize or to politely get a stranger's attention. With one friend or family member, use прабач, выбачай or даруй.

Say прывітанне (hi) to friends, family and people your age. Вітаю (I greet you) is warm and a little more formal, and with з it means congratulations.

Так means yes and не means no. A negative answer often repeats не before the verb: Ты стаміўся? — Не, не стаміўся (Are you tired? — No, I am not).

Use тут and там to say where something is, сюды and туды for motion, and вось to present something: Вось мой дом.

The informal "you" for one person, its verb endings and object forms.

With ты the verb ends in -еш or -іш: чытаеш, робіш. After ж, ш, ч and р it becomes -эш when stressed, -аш when unstressed, and -ыш in the second conjugation: бярэш, пішаш, ляжыш.

У with the locative means in or at a place: у Мінску (in Minsk), у школе (at school), у кватэры (in the apartment). After a vowel, у is written ў: Я жыву ў Гродне (I live in Hrodna).

When the word before ends in a vowel, у at the start of the next word becomes ў: ён у школе, but яна ў школе. After a punctuation mark or at the start of a sentence, у stays.

Няма means "there is no" or "is not here", and the missing thing goes into the genitive: У мяне няма часу (I have no time).

Belarusian usually says "at me there is" for "I have": У мяне ёсць брат. The owner is in the genitive and the thing owned stays in the nominative.

Хацець (to want) has the present forms хачу, хочаш, хоча, хочам, хочаце, хочуць. It takes a noun or an infinitive: Я хачу каву (I want a coffee), Хочаш пагуляць? (Do you want to go for a walk?).

Хто asks who: Хто гэта? (Who is this?). Its other forms are каго, каму, кім and (аб) кім, and it takes a singular verb.

Put ці at the start of a sentence to ask a yes-no question: Ці ведаеш ты Алеся? (Do you know Ales?). In speech, rising intonation alone also makes a question: Ты дома?

Чаму means why and asks for a cause: Чаму ты не спіш? (Why are you not sleeping?). It is usually answered with бо or таму што (because).

Што asks what: Што гэта? (What is this?), Што ты робіш? (What are you doing?). Its other forms are чаго, чаму, чым and (аб) чым.

The choice between ы and і shows whether the consonant before it is hard or soft. After ж, ш, ч, р, дж and the hard ц, only ы is written.

The first-person pronoun я (I), with its verb endings and object forms.

With я the verb ends in -у or -ю: чытаю, пішу, гавару. In second-conjugation verbs whose stem ends in б, п, в, м or ф, an л appears: раблю, люблю.

Яго (his, its), яе (her) and іх (their) do not change for the gender, number or case of the thing owned.

Як means how. It asks about manner (Як ты едзеш на працу?) and condition (Як справы?), and it appears in everyday phrases such as Як цябе завуць? (What is your name?).

Яны replaces any plural noun, whether it names people or things. There is no separate masculine or feminine "they".

With яны first-conjugation verbs end in -уць or -юць (пішуць, чытаюць) and second-conjugation verbs end in -аць or -яць (ляжаць, робяць).

For ён, яна, яно and any singular noun, first-conjugation verbs end in a vowel (чытае, бярэ, піша) and second-conjugation verbs end in -іць or -ыць (робіць, ляжыць).

Ён, яна and яно replace a masculine, feminine or neuter noun. They are used for things as well as people, so "it" can be ён or яна.

Ёсць says that something exists or is available: Тут ёсць кавярня? (Is there a café here?). It has one form for every person and number.

Use і to add similar words or ideas and а to contrast or compare two different ones: Я чытаю, а ён піша.

Ў, called у нескладовае (non-syllabic u), sounds like the w in "now". It comes after a vowel and never forms a syllable by itself.

Many adverbs end in -а or -е: добра (well), хутка (quickly), павольна (slowly), цікава (interestingly), as in Ты добра гаворыш па-беларуску (You speak Belarusian well).

To say how old someone is, put the person in the dative and add the number and the right form of год: Мне дваццаць гадоў (I am twenty). Ask with Колькі табе гадоў?

Polite вы takes a plural verb even for one person, in the present and the past: Вы ведаеце? (Do you know?), Вы былі ў Гродне? (Have you been to Hrodna?); a noun after it stays singular: Вы доктар? (Are you a doctor?).

When the direct object is a person or animal, a masculine singular noun and all plural nouns take the genitive form: Я бачу брата (I see my brother), Мы запрашаем сяброў (We are inviting our friends), Я люблю сабак (I love dogs). Feminine singular nouns in -а/-я keep their own -у/-ю: Я бачу сястру.

A common way to make a perfective is to add a prefix to the imperfective: рабіць, зрабіць; пісаць, напісаць; чытаць, прачытаць. The prefix differs from verb to verb, so learn each pair together.

Much everyday speech in Belarus mixes in Russian words. Standard Belarusian says дзякуй, not спасіба; калі ласка, not пажалуйста; таксама, not тожа; трэба, not нужна; and зараз or цяпер, not сейчас.

Belarusian describes feelings and conditions without a subject: the person who feels is in the dative and the state is a word in -а: Мне холадна (I am cold), Яму сумна (He is bored), Нам весела (We are having fun).

Masculine and neuter nouns take -у/-ю in the dative singular: брату, сябру, Алесю, акну. Nouns in -а/-я take -е after most hard stems (маме, хаце), -ы after ж, ш, ч, р, ц (сястры) and -і after soft stems (зямлі), with г, к, х becoming з, ц, с (кнізе; after this ц a stressed ending is -э: руцэ). Feminine nouns ending in a consonant take -і, or -ы after ж, ш, ч, р: солі, ночы.

The person who receives, is written to, is shown or is told something is in the dative, answering каму? (to whom?): Я даю кнігу брату (I give the book to my brother), Напішы маме (Write to Mom), Скажы сястры (Tell your sister).

Feminine subjects take -ла in the past tense: яна чытала, я была (said by a woman). Every plural subject, including мы, вы and яны, takes -лі: мы чыталі, яны пайшлі.

Form the genitive plural: студэнтаў, сяброў, людзей, начэй, кніг, сясцёр. It is needed after numbers from five, quantity words and for several owners.

Form the genitive singular: брата, акна, Алеся; цукру, чаю; мамы, сястры, кнігі, зямлі, Беларусі, ночы.

Show ownership or a part of a whole by putting the second noun in the genitive after the first: цэнтр горада, сталіца Беларусі.

The вы imperative is the ты imperative plus -це: чытай, чытайце; рабі, рабіце; сядзь, сядзьце. Use it for a group or for one person you address politely.

Imperfective verbs describe an action as ongoing, repeated or simply as a fact, without focusing on a finished result. They are the only verbs with a present tense.

Borrowed nouns like кіно, метро, радыё and кафэ never change their ending. Words for things are usually neuter, so adjectives and past-tense verbs take neuter forms: новае кафэ.

The instrumental ending depends on gender, on whether the stem is hard or soft, and on stress: сябрам, малаком, Алесем, канём; мамай, сястрой, бабуляй, зямлёй.

To say what you do something with, or how you travel, put the noun in the instrumental with no preposition: Я пішу ручкай (I write with a pen), Мы едзем цягніком (We are going by train).

Learn the special plurals людзі, дзеці, вочы and вушы and their genitive forms людзей, дзяцей, вачэй, вушэй.

The locative ending depends on the last consonant of the stem: на стале, у горадзе, у Брэсце (-е); у парку, у Мінску (-у); у моры, на двары (-ы); у полі, у гатэлі (-і).

The masculine past tense ends in -ў when the stem ends in a vowel: ён чытаў, я быў. Stems that end in a consonant add nothing: нёс, мог. Use it for ён, and for я or ты when the person is male.

A neuter subject takes -ла or -ло in the past tense. The ending is -ло only when it is stressed, as in было and пайшло. Otherwise it is written -ла, as in сонца свяціла, because of akanye.

Eleven to nineteen end in -наццаць (адзінаццаць, дванаццаць). The tens are дваццаць, трыццаць, сорак, пяцьдзясят, шэсцьдзясят, семдзесят, восемдзесят, дзевяноста and сто. A number like 25 is two words: дваццаць пяць.

Ordinals such as першы (first), другі (second) and трэці (third) change like adjectives to match their noun: першы дзень, другая спроба, трэцяя кніга. In a longer number only the last word becomes an ordinal: дваццаць першы.

Быць (to be) has four past forms: быў, была, было and былі. They agree with the subject in gender and number, and unlike the present, the verb is never left out.

Perfective verbs present an action as one completed whole, usually with a result. They have a past and a future, but no present: present-tense endings on a perfective verb give a future meaning.

Personal pronouns have their own case forms: я → мяне, мне, мной; ты → цябе, табе, табой; ён → яго, яму, ім; яна → яе, ёй; мы → нас, нам, намі; вы → вас, вам, вамі; яны → іх, ім, імі. After a preposition nothing is added: з ім (with him), да яе (to her).

Reflexive verbs carry -ся after the ordinary ending. Where the form ends in ць, the two fuse into -цца (мыцца, вучыцца). In the present, the ён and яна form also ends in -цца: ён мыецца.

To say in winter or in the morning, Belarusian uses the instrumental case with no preposition, as in зімой, летам and раніцай, or a time adverb such as увечары and уначы.

The ты imperative is built from the present-tense stem. It ends in -й (чытай), in -і or -ы (рабі, пішы), or has no ending at all (сядзь, бач).

Put таму after a length of time to say how long ago something happened: два дні таму, год таму. The time phrase is in the accusative, so гадзіна becomes гадзіну таму.

Belarusian verbs have aspect. Imperfective verbs (рабіць, чытаць) show an action as a process, a habit or a general fact. Perfective verbs (зрабіць, прачытаць) show it as one whole action, usually with a result.

In the present tense and the imperative, the suffix -ава- or -ява- becomes -у- or -ю-, and the verb takes first-conjugation endings: працаваць, працую, працуеш; маляваць, малюю. The infinitive and past keep -ава-: працаваў.

To say at what time, use а with an ordinal number in the locative: а першай гадзіне, а сёмай. To ask the time, say Каторая гадзіна? and answer with an ordinal: Другая гадзіна.

Або and альбо mean or and can replace each other: Увечары я чытаю або гляджу фільм. Ці also means or, and it is especially common in questions that offer a choice: Кава ці гарбата?

Ад with the genitive marks what comes from a person, a starting point, and distance away from something: ліст ад мамы (a letter from Mom), ад дома да школы (from home to school), далёка ад горада (far from the city).

Адзін means one and changes to match its noun: адзін брат, адна сястра, адно акно. With nouns that exist only in the plural it becomes адны (адны дзверы), and a number ending in one keeps the noun singular: дваццаць адзін год.

Без means "without" and always takes the genitive: кава без цукру (coffee without sugar), чай без малака (tea without milk), без мяне (without me), Я не магу без цябе (I cannot do without you).

Бо and таму што both mean because and give a reason: Я не прыйшоў, бо хварэў. Таму што is also the usual way to answer the question Чаму? (Why?).

Use вучыцца for being a student and for learning a skill: Я вучуся ў школе (I study at school), Ён вучыцца чытаць (He is learning to read). Use вывучаць with the subject as a direct object: Я вывучаю беларускую мову (I am learning Belarusian).

Before the dative and locative ending, г becomes з, к becomes ц and х becomes с: у кнізе, на руцэ, на беразе. After the new ц the ending is -э when stressed (руцэ) and -ы when unstressed (у сумцы).

Гэта is an unchanging word meaning this is or it is, while гэты is an adjective meaning this: Гэта мой дом (This is my house) but Гэты дом мой (This house is mine).

Гэты (this) and той (that) agree with the noun: гэты дом, гэтая кніга, гэтае акно, гэтыя людзі; той дом, тая кніга, тое акно, тыя людзі.

Да with the genitive expresses movement toward a person or up to a point: Я іду да сябра (I am going to my friend's), цягнік да Мінска (the train to Minsk), да бабулі (to grandma's). With time words it means "until": да вечара.

After два, тры and чатыры the noun takes its plural form: два сталы, тры кнігі. Два becomes дзве with feminine nouns (дзве кнігі), and longer numbers ending in два, тры or чатыры work the same way: дваццаць два сталы.

Each place has three matching forms: where (у/на + locative), where to (у/на + accusative) and where from (з + genitive). For example, у школе, у школу, са школы.

Есці: ем, ясі, есць, ядзім, ясце, ядуць. Даць is perfective: дам, дасі, дасць, дадзім, дасце, дадуць (I will give…), with the imperative дай.

Ехаць is one trip by transport in one direction; ездзіць is repeated or round trips: Я еду ў Брэст (I am going to Brest), Мы ездзім на мора кожнае лета (We go to the sea every summer).

З followed by the instrumental means "with, together with": з сябрам (with a friend), кава з малаком (coffee with milk). Мы з мамай means "Mom and I".

The preposition з turns into са when the next word starts with two consonants and the first is с, з, ш or ж: са школы, са сваімі сябрамі. It is also са in са мной. Everywhere else it stays з.

Four everyday prepositions take the genitive: каля (near; about), ля (by, next to), пасля (after) and для (for): каля дома (near the house), ля акна (by the window), пасля ўрока (after class), падарунак для сястры (a present for my sister).

Кожны (each, every) agrees like an adjective: кожны дзень (every day), кожная хвіліна (every minute), кожнае лета (every summer).

Магчы (магу, можаш, можа) is ability or possibility and умець (умею, умееш) is a learned skill: Я магу прыйсці заўтра (I can come tomorrow), Я ўмею плаваць (I can swim).

Падабацца works the other way round from English "like": the thing you like is the subject and the verb agrees with it, while the person who likes is in the dative: Мне падабаецца горад (I like the city), Табе падабаюцца кветкі? (Do you like the flowers?).

To say "I need to" or "I have to", put the person in the dative and add трэба and an infinitive: Мне трэба ісці (I need to go). Трэба itself never changes.

Можна means "one may" and нельга means "one must not". Both take an infinitive, and the person, if you name one, goes in the dative: Можна мне ўвайсці? (May I come in?)

Мусіць (мушу, мусіш) means to have to, and павінен, павінна, павінны means should or must: Я мушу ісці (I have to go), Ты павінен адпачыць (You should rest).

To tell someone not to do something, put не before the imperative, normally of an imperfective verb: Не адчыняй акно. A perfective verb after не is a warning about something that could happen by accident: Не забудзь!

To say something did not happen, put не right before the past-tense verb: Я не бачыў яго. The verb keeps its usual past ending for gender and number.

Belarusian uses double negation. A ні- word such as ніхто, нічога or ніколі still needs не before the verb: Ніхто не ведае (Nobody knows), Я нічога не бачу (I see nothing).

Use пра with the accusative to say what something is about: кніга пра Беларусь, Раскажы пра сябе. Feminine nouns in -а or -я take -у or -ю, and masculine nouns for people and animals take -а or -я.

A job or role after працаваць, стаць, or быць in the past or future goes in the instrumental: Ён працуе ўрачом (He works as a doctor), Яна хоча стаць настаўніцай (She wants to become a teacher).

From пяць upward the noun takes the genitive plural: пяць кніг, дзесяць гадоў, шэсць студэнтаў. Longer numbers that end in адзін, два, тры or чатыры, such as дваццаць адзін or сорак тры, follow those words instead.

Say on Monday, on Friday and so on with у and the accusative. Masculine day names do not change, and feminine ones end in -у or -ю: у панядзелак, у сераду, у нядзелю.

Say in January, in May and so on with у and the locative. Most months end in -і or -у, some drop a vowel (травень, у траўні), and люты declines like an adjective: у лютым.

У with the genitive of a person means at that person's home, office or shop: Я ў бабулі (I am at grandma's), Заўтра я ў доктара (Tomorrow I am at the doctor's). It is the same у as in у мяне ёсць.

У and на + the accusative say where someone is going: Я іду ў школу (I am going to school), Мы едзем на працу (We are going to work). The same prepositions with the locative say where someone is.

To say that something hurts, name the person with у + genitive and make the body part the subject of балець: У мяне баліць галава (I have a headache), У яго баляць ногі (His legs hurt).

Ужо means already and яшчэ means still. With не they become no longer (ужо не) and not yet (яшчэ не). After a vowel, ужо is written ўжо.

Belarusian makes let's suggestions with хадзем (let's go, come on), or with давай (to one friend) or давайце (to a group or politely) followed by a perfective мы form or an imperfective infinitive.

Чый (whose) agrees with the thing owned: чый, чыя, чыё, чые, as in Чыя гэта кніга? (Whose book is this?), Чые гэта рэчы? (Whose things are these?).

Quantity words take the genitive. Countable nouns use the genitive plural: шмат людзей (many people), некалькі кніг (several books). Uncountable nouns use the genitive singular: мала часу (little time), трохі цукру (a little sugar).

Які (which, what kind of) agrees like an adjective: які, якая, якое, якія, as in Які ў цябе тэлефон? (What phone do you have?), Якая сёння пагода? (What is the weather like today?).

Ісці is one trip in one direction, happening now or at a set time; хадзіць is round trips, habits or walking around: Я іду ў краму (I am going to the shop), Я часта хаджу ў басейн (I often go to the pool).

Add -небудзь with a hyphen to a question word to mean any one at all: хто-небудзь (anyone), што-небудзь (anything), калі-небудзь (ever, someday). It is used in questions, requests, plans and if-clauses, where no particular one is meant.

Adjectives change their endings to match the case of their noun. The key endings are -ага, -аму, -ым for masculine and neuter, -ай and -ую for feminine, and -ых, -ым, -ымі in the plural: у новым доме (in the new house), з новай сяброўкай (with a new friend).

With два/дзве, тры and чатыры, and with compound numbers ending in them, the adjective goes in the nominative plural: два новыя сталы (two new tables), тры вялікія кнігі (three big books), чатыры добрыя сябры (four good friends). From пяць upward, the adjective is genitive plural: пяць новых кніг.

Not every perfective is made with a prefix. Many pairs differ in the suffix, and a few use a completely different verb, so learn both partners together.

Choose the aspect of a command by what you want. The perfective asks for one result; the imperfective invites, encourages or, after не, forbids.

Belarusian counts minutes toward the coming hour. Up to half past, use на with a feminine ordinal: дзесяць хвілін на пятую (ten past four), палова на трэцюю (half past two). After half past, use без with the genitive: без чвэрці тры (a quarter to three), без пяці дванаццаць (five to twelve).

Than is expressed by за with the accusative, or by чым with the compared item in the same case as its partner: Ён старэйшы за мяне (He is older than me), Сёння цяплей, чым учора (It is warmer today than yesterday).

To say faster, warmer or better, add -ей (-эй after ж, ш, ч, р) to the adverb's stem: хутка → хутчэй, цёпла → цяплей. A few are irregular: лепш, горш, больш, менш.

The one-word comparative adds -ейш- or -эйш- to the stem and declines like any adjective: цікавейшы (more interesting), мацнейшы (stronger), даражэйшы (more expensive). A few are irregular: лепшы (better), горшы (worse), большы (bigger), меншы (smaller).

To say would, take the past-tense form, which agrees in gender and number, and add бы after a consonant or б after a vowel. The same form covers present, future and past situations that are only imagined.

Many verbs change the last consonant of the stem in some present forms. In verbs like хадзіць only the я form changes; in verbs like пісаць every present form does.

When there is no verb between a noun subject and a noun predicate, write a dash: Мінск — сталіца Беларусі (Minsk is the capital of Belarus), Мой брат — урач (My brother is a doctor). With a pronoun subject or with не, there is normally no dash.

To talk about a woman, Belarusian usually uses a feminine noun made with a suffix: студэнтка (student), настаўніца (teacher), беларуска (Belarusian woman), суседка (neighbor), сяброўка (friend). These are ordinary feminine nouns in -а.

The future of быць is буду, будзеш, будзе, будзем, будзеце, будуць. In the present, быць is usually left out, but the future form must be said: Заўтра я буду дома (Tomorrow I will be at home).

The hundreds are сто, дзвесце, трыста, чатырыста, пяцьсот, шэсцьсот, семсот, восемсот, дзевяцьсот. Тысяча (thousand) behaves like a feminine noun: дзве тысячы, пяць тысяч. A counted noun follows the last word of the number: тысяча дзвесце рублёў (1,200 rubles).

To put a question after verbs like ведаць, спытаць or памятаць, keep its question word at the front: Скажы, дзе ты жывеш (Tell me where you live). The tense of the original question stays the same.

To report or embed a yes-no question, start the clause with ці: Я не ведаю, ці ён прыйдзе (I do not know whether he will come). The tense of the question stays the same.

In the instrumental singular, feminine nouns such as ноч, соль and памяць double their last consonant before -у/-ю: ноччу (at night), соллю (with salt), памяццю (with memory). When another consonant comes before it, nothing doubles: радасць → радасцю (with joy).

Masculine nouns take -а/-я in the genitive for people, animals and countable things (брата, стала, горада), but -у/-ю for substances, abstract ideas, natural phenomena and groups: цукру (sugar), часу (time), снегу (snow), лесу (forest). Хлеб is an exception: хлеба.

Бацька (father), тата (dad), дзядзька (uncle), дзядуля (grandpa) and мужчына (man) end in -а or -я, but they are masculine: мой бацька, наш дзядуля быў. Their endings mix two patterns: бацькі (genitive), бацьку (dative and accusative), з бацькам (instrumental).

The ending -ся changes what a verb means. It can make an action reflexive (мыцца, to wash oneself), mutual (сустракацца, to meet each other) or intransitive (Урок пачынаецца, the lesson begins), and some verbs only exist with it, like смяяцца and баяцца.

Імя (name), племя (tribe) and стрэмя (stirrup) are neuter nouns with special forms. Their plural adds -ён-: імёны (names), плямёны (tribes). In the singular, both short and long forms are correct: без імя or без імені (without a name), пад імем or пад іменем (under a name).

The genitive can mean some of a substance: Дай вады (Give me some water), Налі гарбаты (Pour some tea), Купі хлеба (Buy some bread). The accusative means the whole thing or a specific amount.

Perfective verbs have no present tense. Their forms with present-tense endings talk about the future, usually one action that will be completed: Я напішу ліст, Заўтра ён прыйдзе.

Plural nouns of every gender take -ам/-ям in the dative, -амі/-ямі in the instrumental and -ах/-ях in the locative: студэнтам (to the students), з сябрамі (with friends), у гарадах (in the cities). Note людзьмі and дзецьмі.

Some Belarusian nouns have no singular: дзверы (door), акуляры (glasses), грошы (money), нажніцы (scissors), суткі (twenty-four hours), канікулы (school holidays). Everything that agrees with them is plural, even for one item: Мае акуляры ляжаць на стале (My glasses are on the table).

Like English "I am going tomorrow", Belarusian can use the present tense for plans that are already arranged. It works with imperfective verbs and a word that sets the time.

Ask Якое сёння чысло? (What is the date today?) and answer with a neuter ordinal plus the month in the genitive: Сёння першае студзеня (Today is January 1st). To say "on" a date, put the ordinal in the genitive: Я нарадзіўся трэцяга траўня (I was born on May 3rd).

A small group of adjectives ends in -ні with a soft н, such as сіні (blue), летні (summer), апошні (last) and сённяшні (today's). They use soft endings in every form: сіняя сукенка (a blue dress), сіняе мора (the blue sea), апошнюю старонку (the last page).

Some verbs take a dative object: дапамагаць маме (to help Mom), тэлефанаваць сябру (to call a friend), верыць людзям (to trust people), радавацца сонцу (to be glad of the sun). Дзякаваць and прабачаць also take the dative, unlike in Russian.

Some verbs take a genitive object: баяцца сабак (to be afraid of dogs), чакаць аўтобуса (to wait for the bus), прасіць дапамогі (to ask for help), хацець міру (to want peace), жадаць шчасця (to wish happiness).

A small group of everyday verbs takes its object in the instrumental case. Learn each one with the question чым? (with what?): цікавіцца чым, займацца чым.

Ад and да with the genitive mark a range in space or time: ад Мінска да Брэста (from Minsk to Brest), ад раніцы да вечара (from morning till evening). For clock times and days, з often marks the start: з дзевяці да пяці.

Больш (more) and менш (less) before the plain adjective also form comparatives, especially for long adjectives: больш цікавы фільм (a more interesting film), менш дарагі гатэль (a less expensive hotel). Менш is the only way to say less.

For an ongoing, repeated or unfinished action in the future, use the future of быць with an imperfective infinitive: Я буду чытаць, Што ты будзеш рабіць увечары? Only imperfective verbs form the future this way.

Impersonal predicates such as трэба, можна, нельга, холадна and цікава have no subject, so the past is always было and the future always будзе: Мне трэба было ісці (I had to go), Будзе цяжка (It will be hard).

The prefix вы- means going out. Выйсці is one exit and выходзіць is the habit; because вы- is always stressed in выйсці, its past is выйшаў.

Дзе and куды can join a clause to a place noun, like English where. Use дзе for location, куды for direction and адкуль for where from.

Дзякаваць (to thank) puts the person in the dative and the reason after за with the accusative: Дзякую табе (Thank you), Дзякуем вам за дапамогу (We thank you for the help). The perfective is падзякаваць.

За with the accusative says how long something takes to finish or what someone is thanked, paid or blamed for: Я зрабіў гэта за гадзіну (I did it in an hour), Дзякуй за дапамогу (Thanks for the help).

For location, за (behind), пад (under), над (above) and перад (in front of) take the instrumental: за домам, пад сталом, над горадам, перад школай. For motion into a place, за and пад take the accusative instead.

Замест (instead of) and акрамя (except, besides) take the genitive: замест кавы (instead of coffee), Усе прыйшлі, акрамя мяне (Everyone came except me). Акрамя can also add: Акрамя беларускай мовы, я ведаю польскую.

Каб plus an infinitive gives the purpose of an action when the subject stays the same: Я прыйшоў, каб дапамагчы (I came to help). A comma comes before каб.

Калі (if) introduces a real condition. For a future condition, Belarusian uses the future where English uses the present: Калі будзе дождж, мы застанемся дома (If it rains, we will stay home).

Калі introduces a time clause: Калі я быў малы, я жыў у вёсцы (When I was little, I lived in a village). For a future event, the калі clause uses the future tense too, unlike English.

Belarusian chooses the verb for putting by how the object ends up. Lying flat is класці (пакласці), upright is ставіць (паставіць), and hanging is вешаць (павесіць). The result is described with ляжаць, стаяць or вісець.

Мець (маю, маеш, мае) also means to have, especially for abstract things and in more formal speech: Я маю пытанне (I have a question), Ці маеце вы час? (Do you have time?). It is common in Belarusian and appears in many set phrases.

На with the accusative gives the planned length of a stay or result: Я еду ў Мінск на тыдзень (I am going to Minsk for a week), Ён узяў кнігу на дзень (He borrowed the book for a day).

Навошта asks what for, about a purpose, while чаму asks about a cause: Навошта табе гэта? (What do you need that for?), Навошта ты ідзеш у горад? (What are you going to town for?).

Superlatives add най- to the one-word comparative or put самы before the plain adjective: найлепшы (the best), найвышэйшая гара (the highest mountain), самы вялікі горад (the biggest city). Both forms agree with their noun.

Не было and не будзе with the genitive say that something was not or will not be there: Учора не было часу (There was no time yesterday), Заўтра не будзе дажджу (There will be no rain tomorrow). The verb stays the same for every gender and number.

Like ісці and хадзіць, the carrying verbs come in a pair. Несці (нясу, нясеш) is one trip in one direction. Насіць (нашу, носіш) is repeated or aimless carrying, and it also means to wear.

Put не- in front of a question word or -сьці after it to get someone, something or somewhere: нехта or хтосьці, нешта or штосьці, недзе or дзесьці. Both point to one real person or thing that stays unnamed, and they decline like хто and што.

Няхай, or the shorter conversational хай, with a third-person verb gives a command, permission or wish about someone else: Няхай ён пачакае (Let him wait). With будзе it makes wishes such as Няхай усё будзе добра.

Па with the accusative after a motion verb means going to fetch something or pick someone up: Схадзі па хлеб (Go and get some bread), Яна пайшла па ваду (She went for water), Прыйдзі па мяне (Come and pick me up).

Па with the locative means around or along a surface or area: гуляць па горадзе (to walk around the city), ісці па вуліцы (to walk along the street), хадзіць па лесе (to walk in the forest). It also marks a medium: па тэлефоне.

Пайсці (on foot) and паехаць (by vehicle) are the perfective partners of ісці and ехаць. They mark the start of a trip, so in the past they mean someone has left.

Пакуль (while) says one action happens during another: Пакуль ты спаў, я гатаваў. Пакуль не (until) marks when something ends: Пачакай, пакуль я не вярнуся.

Паміж (between) takes the instrumental and сярод (among, in the middle of) takes the genitive: паміж домам і школай (between the house and the school), сярод сяброў (among friends).

Verbs of beginning, continuing and stopping talk about a stage of an ongoing activity, so the infinitive after them is imperfective. The phase verb itself can be either aspect.

The prefix пера- means going across. Перайсці is one crossing and пераходзіць is the habit; the same verbs also mean moving or switching to something new.

Праз with the accusative means through or across (праз парк, through the park), after a stretch of time (праз гадзіну, in an hour), by way of someone (праз перакладчыка) or because of (праз цябе, because of you).

The prefix пры- turns "go" into "come, arrive". Прыйсці is the perfective for one arrival, and прыходзіць is the imperfective for habits.

Свой, свая, сваё and свае agree like мой with the thing owned, but the owner is always the subject of the clause. Ён узяў сваю кнігу means his own book; Ён узяў яго кнігу means another man's.

Use спадар for a man and спадарыня for a woman before a surname or first name: спадар Іваноў (Mr. Ivanou), спадарыня Ганна (Ms. Hanna). Both are nouns, so they change for case, and you speak to these people with polite вы.

To say you miss someone or something, use сумаваць with па and the locative case. Without па, the verb simply means to feel sad or bored.

When the subject does something to or for itself, Belarusian uses сябе, not мяне, яго or яе. It works for every person and number: сябе (genitive and accusative), сабе (dative and locative), сабой or сабою (instrumental).

Таму means so or therefore: Ішоў дождж, таму мы засталіся дома (It was raining, so we stayed at home). The cause comes first, and the result follows таму after a comma.

Толькі means only and нават means even. Put each one directly in front of the word it is about: Нават дзеці гэта ведаюць (Even children know this).

The year in which something happens takes у + the locative of the ordinal and год: у дзве тысячы дваццатым годзе (in 2020), у мінулым годзе (last year), у гэтым годзе (this year).

The prefix у- means going in. Use увайсці for one entry and уваходзіць for habits, and say where with у and the accusative.

Увесь (all, the whole) agrees with its noun like an adjective: увесь дзень, уся сям'я, усё лета, усе людзі. On its own, усё means everything and усе means everyone. After a vowel its first letter becomes ў.

The conditional of хацець turns I want into I would like. A man says хацеў бы, a woman хацела б, and a group or polite вы takes хацелі б. It is followed by an infinitive, a noun, or каб with the past tense.

Што introduces a clause that tells what someone knows, says, thinks or feels. Unlike English that, it is normally kept, and a comma always comes before it.

Як compares one thing with another: Ён спявае, як птушка (He sings like a bird). With такі ж ... як it says two things are equal. The noun after як takes the same case as its partner.

Які links a describing clause to a noun, like English who, which or that. It copies the noun's gender and number (які, якая, якое, якія) but takes the case its own clause needs, and the clause is set off with commas.

Native Belarusian words rarely start with a stressed о or a root у: they add в (вока, вуха, вуліца, восень). The в before о disappears when the stress moves and о becomes а (возера, азёры). Some words add і before a cluster (імгла).

An adverbial participle phrase, such as вярнуўшыся з працы (having come back from work), is set off by commas. Its doer must be the subject of the main verb, or the doer of an infinitive in a sentence without a subject.

Collective numerals count people and things as a group. They are required with plural-only nouns and with pronouns (нас было трое), common with male groups and children, and not used for women or ordinary objects.

Put a comma before што, каб, калі, які, бо and similar words that start a clause, and close the clause with a comma if the sentence continues. A name you call someone by is set off with commas too.

Belarusian uses diminutive suffixes very often to show that something is small or dear. The noun keeps its gender, and the consonant before the suffix often changes.

Between vowels, many soft consonants and ж, ш, ч are pronounced long and written double: жыццё (life), вяселле (wedding), збожжа (grain), насенне (seeds), суддзя (judge).

Under не, a direct object often switches from the accusative to the genitive. The genitive is the rule with ніякі and ні, and with abstract nouns; specific, definite objects often stay accusative.

Adverbial participles like чытаючы (while reading) and ідучы (while walking) describe something the subject does at the same time as the main verb. They never change their form.

Impersonal verbs describe nature, smells and body states with no subject: Світае (Dawn is breaking), Цямнее (It is getting dark), Мне нездаровіцца (I feel unwell). Do not add яно or гэта.

Parenthetical words add the speaker's view: how sure they are (мабыць, відаць, вядома), how they feel (на жаль, на шчасце) or whose opinion it is (па-мойму). Commas always set them off.

A participial phrase is a participle with its own words, such as напісаная маім сябрам (written by my friend). Before the noun it takes no commas; after the noun it is set off by commas.

Passive participles end in -аны, -ены or -ты and describe the result of an action: прачытаная кніга (a book that has been read). They agree with the noun like adjectives and are spelled with a single н.

Imperfective verbs with -ся can be passive: Тут прадаюцца квіткі (Tickets are sold here). The subject is usually a thing, and the verb agrees with it.

Participles in -лы come from verbs of change like пажоўкнуць (to turn yellow) and describe the resulting state: загарэлы твар (a tanned face). They take adjective endings.

Formal address uses the first name plus the patronymic, made from the father's name. Men's patronymics end in -авіч or -евіч and women's in -аўна or -еўна.

Perfective adverbial participles like прачытаўшы (having read) describe an earlier, completed action by the same subject. After a vowel the suffix is -ўшы, after a consonant -шы.

Belarusian often turns a person's name or family word into an adjective of ownership: бацькаў дом (Father's house), мамін сшытак (Mom's notebook), Янкава кніга (Yanka's book).

The short form of a passive participle ends in -на or -та and serves as a predicate: Усё зроблена (Everything is done). Masculine and plural subjects normally take the long form: Ліст напісаны.

Present active participles like бягучы (current) and вядучы (presenter) take adjective endings. Many work as ordinary adjectives or nouns, and for everyday sentences a clause with які is preferred.

To report someone's words, change the pronouns but keep the original tense: «Я стаміўся» becomes Ён сказаў, што стаміўся. Questions use ці or a question word; requests use каб.

Words borrowed from other languages are spelled the Belarusian way: праграма, фатаграфія, тэлефон, тэатр, камп'ютар, група. Write what you hear, not the Russian or English spelling.

In passive sentences the doer is in the instrumental without a preposition: Кніга напісана вядомым пісьменнікам (The book was written by a famous writer).

The prefix з- is spelled as it sounds: с- before voiceless consonants (сказаць), з- elsewhere (зрабіць), and з' before я, е, ё, ю, і (з'есці). The preposition з never becomes с.

The vocative is a special form for addressing someone, such as браце (brother!) or Алесю (Ales!). It is warm or traditional, and the ordinary nominative is always correct in address.

Many Belarusian verbs come with a fixed preposition, and that preposition decides the case. The preposition is often not the one English uses, so learn each verb with it.

А то means or else. It follows a command or advice and warns what will happen otherwise: Спяшайся, а то спознішся.

Абодва is used for masculine and neuter nouns, абедзве for feminine nouns, and абое for a man and a woman together. They follow the pattern of два and дзве.

Адзін аднаго means each other: Яны любяць адзін аднаго. Only the second part changes for case, and a preposition goes between the two parts.

Like ісці and хадзіць, run, fly and swim come in pairs. Use бегчы, ляцець and плыць for one trip in one direction, and бегаць, лятаць and плаваць for habits, ability and moving around.

Быццам, як быццам and нібы mean as if. They introduce an imagined comparison, keep the normal tense of the verb, and follow a comma.

Варта with an infinitive means it is worth doing or someone should do it: Варта паспрабаваць (It is worth trying), Табе варта адпачыць (You should rest). Не варта means there is no point.

Везці and вазіць are for carrying by vehicle; весці and вадзіць are for leading someone on foot. As with ісці and хадзіць, the first verb is one trip, the second is general.

The prefix да- on ісці and хадзіць means reaching a goal. Use да with the genitive for the place: Як дайсці да вакзала? Letters, news and sounds can reach you too.

Дзякуючы with the dative names a helpful cause: дзякуючы табе (thanks to you), дзякуючы дапамозе сяброў (thanks to our friends' help). Before a clause, use дзякуючы таму, што.

Для таго каб means in order to, like каб, but sounds fuller and more formal: Мы прыйшлі рана для таго, каб заняць месцы (We came early in order to get seats).

Дык means so or then. It starts a question or conclusion (Дык што ты вырашыў?) and links a condition to its result (Калі хочаш, дык ідзі).

Ж and жа add emphasis: Гэта ж ясна! Ён жа казаў. Use ж after a vowel and жа after a consonant, written as a separate word.

З-за and з-пад show movement out from behind or from under something, and both take the genitive. З-за also names the cause of a problem.

За- on ісці and хадзіць means dropping in briefly. Visit a person with да + genitive (зайсці да сябра) and a place with у or на + accusative (зайсці ў краму).

Каб with the past-tense form reports a wish, request or order for someone else: Я хачу, каб ты прыйшоў (I want you to come). The form is past, but the meaning is not.

For conditions that are not true, use калі б or каб with the past-tense form, and б or бы with the past-tense form in the other clause: Калі б я ведаў, я б сказаў. The same sentence covers the present and the past.

Verbs of considering, calling, choosing and appointing take two parts: an accusative object and an instrumental description of it. Лічыцца (to be considered) keeps only the instrumental.

Мець with an infinitive means to be supposed to or scheduled to: Сустрэча мае адбыцца заўтра (The meeting is supposed to take place tomorrow).

Some verbs take -ся and a dative person to describe a feeling that simply happens to you: Мне хочацца спаць (I feel like sleeping), Мне не спіцца (I cannot sleep).

Set off by commas, мусіць is a parenthetical word meaning probably: Ён, мусіць, ужо дома (He is probably home already). It never changes its form.

Найбольш (and найменш) before a plain adjective forms a superlative, common in writing. Як мага before a comparative adverb means as ... as possible.

Не толькі ..., але і means not only ... but also. Put не толькі right before the first part, and a comma before але і.

Нягледзячы на with the accusative means despite: нягледзячы на дождж (despite the rain). Before a clause, use нягледзячы на тое, што (even though). The phrase is usually set off with commas.

Няма + question word + infinitive means there is no one, nothing or nowhere to do something: Няма каго спытаць. The person is in the dative: Мне няма чаго сказаць.

Ні … ні (neither … nor) puts ні before each item, and the verb still needs не: Ні ён, ні яна не ведаюць (Neither he nor she knows).

Use падысці да + genitive to walk up to something, and адысці ад + genitive to step away. The prefix changes ісці to -ысці: падысці, адысці.

Пасля таго як means after and joins a whole clause: Пасля таго як мы павячэралі, мы пайшлі гуляць (After we had dinner, we went for a walk).

Паўтара and паўтары mean one and a half. Choose by the gender of the noun, and put the noun in the genitive singular.

Перш чым means before, followed by a verb: Падумай, перш чым адказаць (Think before you answer). For a different subject, use a full clause: Перш чым ён прыйшоў, мы ўсё падрыхтавалі.

Пры always takes the locative. It links something to a place it belongs to, a person who is present, or the circumstances of an action.

A few adjectives work as the main part of the sentence: рад, рада, рады (glad), павінен, павінна, павінны (should, must) and варты, вартая, вартыя (worth). They agree with the subject.

To laugh at or make fun of someone, Belarusian uses з with the genitive: Не смейся з мяне (Don't laugh at me), Ён жартуе з сябра (He is teasing his friend).

Так што means so, as a result. It starts the second clause, after a comma, and names the consequence.

Use той самы for the very same person or thing, and такі самы for something of the same kind. Both parts change for gender, number and case.

To say what illness someone has, use хварэць на with the accusative: Ён хварэе на грып (He has the flu).

Хоць and хаця (although) start a clause with a fact that might have stopped something but did not: Хоць было холадна, мы пайшлі гуляць.

Хіба and няўжо mean really? and turn a question into an expression of surprise or doubt. Няўжо stresses surprise; хіба often hints that the answer should be no.

Чым ..., тым ... means the more ..., the more .... Each half has a comparative form, and a comma separates the halves.

Што starts a relative clause after усё and тое, like English what or that: Усё, што ты сказаў, праўда (Everything you said is true). It changes case: тое, пра што мы гаварылі.

Што за asks what kind of: Што гэта за кніга? It also makes exclamations: Што за дзень! In these patterns the noun stays in the nominative.

Як толькі means as soon as. For a single future event, the як толькі clause uses the perfective future: Як толькі прыйду, патэлефаную.

After a number or quantity word, a singular verb treats the group as one amount, and a plural verb shows people acting one by one: Прыйшло пяць чалавек, Пяць студэнтаў прыйшлі раней.

Put the person in the dative and add an infinitive: Што мне рабіць? (What should I do?). With не it often means something cannot happen: Нам гэтага не зразумець.

In the genitive, dative, instrumental and locative, numerals such as два, пяць and сто take their own case ending and the noun follows in the same case in the plural: каля трох гадзін, двум сябрам, з пяццю кнігамі, аб пяці кнігах. Адзін agrees like an adjective with a singular noun, and тысяча works like a noun.

Men's surnames change for case: у Максіма Багдановіча, з Уладзімірам Караткевічам. Women's surnames ending in a consonant stay the same: з Ганнай Карповіч. Adjective-type surnames decline for both.

Fractions pair a cardinal with a feminine ordinal: адна трэцяя, дзве пятыя, пяць сёмых. Decimals count цэлыя (wholes) first: нуль цэлых пяць дзясятых (0.5). Палова (half, conversational; палавіна in neutral style), чвэрць (quarter) and трэць (third) are ordinary nouns.

Numbers form compound adjectives and nouns in the genitive: двух-, трох-, чатырох-, пяці-, and so on. Write them as one word, or with a hyphen after a digit: 5-павярховы.

This course uses the official orthography (the 2008 rules). Some media and books use taraškievica, which writes сьнег for снег and плян for план. Read both, but do not mix them in one text.

The suffix -ну- makes a perfective verb for one quick action: крычаць → крыкнуць (shout once), стукаць → стукнуць (knock once), міргаць → міргнуць (blink).

Prefixed perfectives such as перапісаць get their own imperfectives with a suffix: перапісваць, расказваць, падкрэсліваць. Use them for habits and ongoing actions.

Да- can mean finishing what is left: дачытаць (to finish reading), дапіць (to finish drinking), дарабіць (to finish the work).

За- can mean starting a sound or movement: засмяяцца (to burst out laughing), заспяваць (to start singing), зайграць (to start playing).

Па- can mean doing something for a little while: пагуляць (to walk for a bit), пачытаць (to read a little), пасядзець (to sit a while).

Пера- can mean redoing something (перачытаць, to reread) or overdoing it (перасаліць, to oversalt). Verbs with пера- are perfective.

Belarusian makes nouns from verbs with -нне or -цце: чытаць → чытанне (reading), развіць → развіццё (development). The doubled consonant and the -е/-ё ending are the key spelling points.

Some verbs, many of them in -аваць, serve as both imperfective and perfective: даследаваць (to research), гарантаваць (to guarantee), атакаваць (to attack).

Belarusian word order puts the known topic first and the new information last. Кнігу напісаў Караткевіч answers who wrote the book; Караткевіч напісаў кнігу answers what Karatkevich wrote.

Young-animal nouns like кацяня (kitten) and цяля (calf) are neuter. They add -ят- in the plural (кацяняты, кацянят) and -яці in the singular genitive, dative and locative.

Аб with the locative means about and is typical of formal and written language: дакумент аб супрацоўніцтве. In speech, пра with the accusative is more common: пра гэта. Before мне and ўсім it becomes аба.

Абы- with a hyphen turns a question word into any at all, often with a dismissive or careless tone: абы-хто, абы-што, абы-які, абы-дзе, абы-як. With a preposition, абы-хто and абы-што split into three words: абы з кім.

Аднак means however: something happens despite what came before. Затое means but on the other hand: a good point balances a bad one, as in Кватэра малая, затое ў цэнтры.

Будучы (being, while being) is the adverbial participle of быць. The word after it goes in the instrumental: будучы студэнтам.

Some verbs take the instrumental directly: валодаць беларускай мовай (to be fluent in Belarusian), ганарыцца дачкой (to be proud of one's daughter), захапляцца музыкай (to be keen on music).

Verbs like дасягнуць (to reach), пазбягаць (to avoid), патрабаваць (to demand), дамагацца (to strive for) and пазбавіцца (to get rid of) take the genitive, not the accusative.

Ды can mean and (хлеб ды соль, bread and salt) or, after a comma, but (Хацеў прыйсці, ды не змог). It sounds natural and a little folksy.

З мэтай (with the aim of) takes the genitive, usually of a verbal noun: з мэтай абмеркавання (to discuss), з мэтай вывучэння мовы (to study the language). In everyday speech, use каб with a verb instead.

З прычыны (due to, owing to) takes the genitive and gives a cause in formal style: з прычыны дрэннага надвор'я (because of bad weather). Before a clause, say з прычыны таго, што.

З таго часу як (since) marks the starting point of something that still lasts. З той пары як means the same.

Official texts, news and reference books often use з'яўляцца (to be) with the instrumental: Мінск з'яўляецца сталіцай Беларусі. In everyday speech, a dash or быць is more natural.

A sentence can start with каб and a past-tense verb to wish someone well: Каб ты быў здаровы! (May you be healthy!). The same pattern can also give a firm order: Каб заўтра быў дома!

Каб не means so that ... not, or so as not to: Апраніся цёпла, каб не захварэць. Use an infinitive when the subject stays the same and a past-tense verb when it changes.

Ледзь не (almost, nearly) says an event came close but did not happen: Я ледзь не ўпаў (I nearly fell). Without не, ледзь means barely: it did happen, but only just.

Маўляў is a colloquial particle that introduces someone's words or attitude in your own paraphrase, like as if to say or he says: Ён махнуў рукой: маўляў, усё роўна (He waved his hand, as if to say it did not matter).

На- with -ся means doing something to your heart's content or more than enough: наесціся (to eat your fill), нагуляцца (to play as much as you like).

Наконт and адносна (concerning, regarding) take the genitive and name the topic of a question, a thought or a decision. Наконт is neutral and also used in speech; адносна is more bookish, and on its own it can mean relatively.

Наўрад ці (hardly, it is unlikely that) shows strong doubt. Put it at the start of the sentence or right before the verb, with no commas.

Нібыта shows that a claim comes from someone else and may not be true: Ён нібыта хворы (He is supposedly ill). After verbs of saying it works as a conjunction in place of a neutral што, with the usual comma before it: Кажуць, нібыта цэны вырастуць. The particle itself is never set off with commas.

Па with a number shares things out evenly: Дзеці атрымалі па два яблыкі (Each child got two apples). For one, use па адным (or па аднаму), or just па with the noun: па яблыку.

Паводле takes the genitive and names where information comes from: паводле прагнозу (according to the forecast). Згодна з takes the instrumental and names a rule or plan that is followed: згодна з законам (in accordance with the law).

Паколькі means since or because, for a reason the listener already knows or accepts. It often starts the sentence: Паколькі ўсе прыйшлі, пачнём. It sounds a little more formal than бо.

Пры ўмове, што (on condition that, provided that) sets a formal condition: Я пагаджуся пры ўмове, што ты дапаможаш (I will agree provided that you help). With a noun, use the genitive: пры ўмове добрага надвор'я.

Раз- with -ся means going apart (разысціся, to go separate ways) or getting really going (разгаварыцца, to get talking). Before a voiceless consonant write рас-.

Сам stresses who does something: myself, himself, in person, or without help. It agrees in gender and number: сам, сама, само, самі. Do not confuse it with самы (the most, the very).

Verbs like спрыяць (to promote), перашкаджаць (to hinder), давяраць (to trust), супраціўляцца (to resist), адпавядаць (to match) and пагражаць (to threaten) take the dative.

Тады як (whereas) sets one fact against another. Put a comma before it; у той час як means the same.

Repeat то before each alternative to say that events or states keep taking turns: То дождж, то снег (now rain, now snow). A comma goes before each то after the first.

У выпадку takes the genitive: у выпадку пажару (in case of fire). Before a clause, use у выпадку, калі (if, in the event that). Related set phrases include на ўсякі выпадак (just in case) and ні ў якім выпадку (under no circumstances).

У сувязі з with the instrumental states the reason for a change or event in official style: у сувязі з рамонтам (due to repairs), у сувязі з хваробай (because of illness). A full clause follows у сувязі з тым, што.

Хоць бы has two uses. At the start of an exclamation it means if only: Хоць бы дождж скончыўся! Before a word or amount it means at least: Прыйдзі хоць бы на гадзіну.

Што б ні, хто б ні, дзе б ні and similar mean whatever, whoever, wherever: Што б ні здарылася, я буду з табой. The verb is in the past tense, and the word is ні, not не.

Як ..., так і (both ... and, alike) joins two members of the same kind in a more formal way than і: як дарослыя, так і дзеці (adults and children alike). A comma goes before так і only.

Менавіта points at exactly this one and no other, and а менавіта means namely. Якраз can do the same, and it also means just then, exactly there, or just right.

Add -кольвек to a question word to mean any at all: хто-кольвек (anyone whatsoever), калі-кольвек (ever). It is mostly a written and regional form; everyday speech usually prefers -небудзь.

Past active participles in -ўшы or -шы, like прыехаўшыя госці (the guests who arrived), occur in officialese and older texts. Learn to recognise them; the standard usually prefers a relative clause: госці, якія прыехалі.

Past tense plus быў, была, было or былі marks an averted action: Я пайшоў быў, ды вярнуўся (I had started to leave but came back). In speech you also hear an unchanging было: пайшоў было.

Official texts pack an idea into a chain of nouns in the genitive: павышэнне ўзроўню адукацыі насельніцтва. In plain style, a verb reads better: каб людзі атрымлівалі лепшую адукацыю.

Belarusian often joins clauses with no conjunction at all. The punctuation carries the meaning: a comma lists events, a colon explains or gives a reason, and a dash shows a condition, a result or a contrast.

In lively speech, мне, табе or вам can add emotion without being a real object: Вось табе і навіна! (Well, there's news for you!), Ты мне глядзі! (You watch yourself, I'm telling you!).

Storytellers often switch to the present tense for past events to make them feel immediate: Іду я ўчора па вуліцы і раптам бачу Алеся (So yesterday I'm walking down the street and suddenly I see Ales).

In literary style a noun in the instrumental, with no preposition, can mean like: Вецер выў ваўком (The wind howled like a wolf). Everyday speech says the same with як and the nominative.

After verbs of motion a noun in the instrumental, with no preposition, names the route: ісці лесам (to walk through the forest), ехаць палявой дарогай (to drive along a field road).

A nominative sentence names a thing or scene with a noun in the nominative and nothing else: Ранак. Туман. It means that something is present now and is common in descriptions, stories and diaries.

Official Belarusian texts pile up verbal nouns, use з'яўляцца (to be) with the instrumental and replace simple verbs with ажыццяўляць, праводзіць + noun. Learners should read this style but write plainly in ordinary texts: кантраляваць, not ажыццяўляць кантроль.

Аж marks an extreme degree, distance, time or amount: аж пачырванеў (actually blushed), аж да раніцы (all the way until morning), аж пяць разоў (five whole times). It always points to more than expected, never less.

Бывала (it used to happen) introduces repeated past events in storytelling: Бывала, мы ўвечары спявалі песні (We used to sing songs in the evenings). It is a parenthetical word, so it takes commas.

Дарма што (even though, never mind that) introduces a concession, like хоць: Дарма што было позна, дзеці не спалі. It sounds lively and a little literary.

Каторы means which one, especially by order or position: Каторая гадзіна? (What time is it?), У каторым класе? (In which grade?). In folk and older texts it can also mean who or which in relative clauses, where the standard uses які.

Не хто іншы, як means none other than, and не што іншае, як means nothing other than. Не here does not negate, a comma always stands before як, and the verb stays positive.

In literary and traditional style па with the locative means after: па абедзе (after lunch), па вайне (after the war). In everyday speech the usual word is пасля with the genitive.

Па меры таго як means as or in step with. It links two gradual changes, usually with imperfective verbs. When the clause comes first, the conjunction usually stays whole and the comma goes after the clause.

Такі next to a verb means after all or despite everything: Ён такі прыйшоў (He did come after all). Write it separately before the verb and with a hyphen after it: прыйшоў-такі.

Тым больш што means especially since or all the more so because. It comes after a statement and adds a reason that makes it even more true. Put a comma before тым больш што.

Хай сабе or няхай сабе means let it be or so what. It shrugs off a fact or someone's action, and the next part says what matters more. Сабе here is an unstressed particle, not the word for oneself.

Хіба што means except perhaps or maybe only, and with a verb it can mean unless. It follows a general statement and adds the one possible exception. It is written as two words.

Ці не opens a question that suggests something politely or hints that the speaker suspects it is true. The не does not really deny anything, so the expected answer is yes. For a suggestion, use the dative with an infinitive.

Ці то …, ці то (either … or, maybe … maybe) shows uncertainty between two possibilities: Ці то ён спаў, ці то не хацеў адказваць (Either he was asleep or he did not want to answer).

Як ні (however much, no matter how) opens a clause that concedes effort or degree. Ні only strengthens the clause and does not make it negative. A comma separates the two clauses.