аб + Locative

About with Аб

Level 5Sounds Like ab + mesny

Аб + locative means about in formal or written style: аб гэтым (about this), дакумент аб супрацоўніцтве (a document on cooperation).

How It Works

Belarusian has two ways to say about:

  • пра + accusative: everyday and neutral: Раскажы пра сябе. (Tell me about yourself.)
  • аб + locative: formal, written, official: паведамленне аб змене раскладу (a notice of a schedule change).

Both are correct; the difference is mainly style. Official titles almost always use аб: Закон аб мовах (the Law on Languages), дамова аб супрацоўніцтве (a cooperation agreement).

Case. After аб, use locative endings (locative endings): аб праекце, аб маці, аб гэтым, аб ім, аб іх. Do not mix the two patterns: it is пра гэта or аб гэтым, never пра гэтым.

Аба. The fuller form аба is used in аба мне (about me) and, less often, аба ўсім (about everything), where the next word begins with a cluster of consonants.

Аб + accusative has a different meaning: against, into, for hitting or rubbing against something: Ён ударыўся галавой аб дзверы. (He hit his head on the door.) Дождж б'ецца аб шыбы. (The rain beats against the windowpanes.)

For formal topics you may also meet наконт and адносна (concerning, regarding).

Examples (5)

  1. Мы ўжо гаварылі аб гэтым.

    We have already talked about this.

    Word by Word: We already spoke about this(loc.).

  2. Урад падпісаў дакумент аб супрацоўніцтве.

    The government signed a document on cooperation.

    Word by Word: Government signed document about cooperation(loc.).

  3. Што ён сказаў аба мне?

    What did he say about me?

    Word by Word: What he said about me(loc.)?

    Before мне the preposition takes the form аба.

  4. На сайце з'явілася паведамленне аб змене раскладу.

    A notice about the schedule change appeared on the website.

    Word by Word: On site appeared notice about change(loc.) of-schedule.

  5. Ён ударыўся галавой аб дзверы.

    He hit his head on the door.

    Word by Word: He struck-himself with-head against door(acc.).

    With the accusative, аб means against, not about.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the locative after пра.

    Мы гаварылі пра гэтым.
    Мы гаварылі пра гэта.

    Пра takes the accusative (пра гэта); аб takes the locative (аб гэтым). Do not mix them.

  • Using the accusative after аб when you mean about.

    Мы гаварылі аб праект.
    Мы гаварылі аб праекце.

    In the meaning about, аб takes the locative: аб праекце. Аб with the accusative means against.

  • Using the Russian preposition о.

    Раскажы о сабе.
    Раскажы пра сябе.

    Belarusian has no preposition о. Use пра with the accusative (пра сябе), or аб with the locative in formal style.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

аб + LocativeLevel 5About with Аб

Learn This First

About with аб needs пра and the locative.

Words in This Pattern

аб