або / альбо / ці

Or with Або, Альбо and Ці

Level 2Sounds Like abo alʹbo cí

чай або кава, сёння альбо заўтра, Кава ці гарбата?

How It Works

Або and альбо mean the same; use whichever sounds better to you. They join words or whole clauses:

  • Увечары я чытаю або гляджу фільм. (In the evening I read or watch a film.)
  • Прыходзь заўтра альбо ў суботу. (Come tomorrow or on Saturday.)

Ці also means or. It is the most natural word in a question that offers a choice: Кава ці гарбата? (Coffee or tea?), Ты едзеш сёння ці заўтра? (Are you leaving today or tomorrow?). It appears in statements too, often with numbers and in set phrases: дзень ці два (a day or two), так ці інакш (one way or another).

Either … or. Put the word before each option: Або ты ідзеш з намі, або застаешся дома. (Either you come with us, or you stay home.) Repeated ці … ці can also mean either … or, and after verbs like ведаць it means whether … or: Я не ведаю, ці ён прыйдзе, ці не (I don't know whether he will come or not).

Commas. Do not put a comma before a single або, альбо or ці that joins two words or two actions of the same subject: чытаю або гляджу фільм. When it joins two complete clauses, each with its own subject, put a comma before it: Ты прыйдзеш да мяне, або я прыйду да цябе. (You will come to me, or I will come to you.) When the word is repeated, put a comma before the second one.

Ці has other jobs too. At the start of a sentence it marks a yes-no question (ці in questions): Ці ведаеш ты Алеся? (Do you know Ales?). After verbs like ask and know it means whether (indirect questions with ці). When it means or, it stands between the options, or before each one when repeated.

To join things that go together, use і (and), not a word for or.

Examples (6)

  1. Увечары я чытаю або гляджу фільм.

    In the evening I read or watch a film.

    Word by Word: In-evening I read or watch film.

  2. Кава ці гарбата?

    Coffee or tea?

    Word by Word: Coffee or tea?

    ці offers a choice in a question.

  3. Прыходзь заўтра альбо ў суботу.

    Come tomorrow or on Saturday.

    Word by Word: Come tomorrow or on Saturday.

    альбо means the same as або.

  4. Ты едзеш сёння ці заўтра?

    Are you leaving today or tomorrow?

    Word by Word: You go today or tomorrow?

  5. Або ты ідзеш з намі, або застаешся дома.

    Either you come with us, or you stay home.

    Word by Word: Or you go with us, or stay home.

    Repeated або means either … or; a comma comes before the second one.

  6. Мне трэба дзень ці два.

    I need a day or two.

    Word by Word: To-me needed day or two.

    ці can mean or in a statement, too.

Common Mistakes

  • Using і when you mean a choice.

    Кава і гарбата?
    Кава ці гарбата?

    І means and, so the question asks about having both. To offer a choice, use ці (or або).

  • Using the Russian word for or.

    Чай или кава?
    Чай ці кава?

    Или is Russian. In Belarusian, say ці, або or альбо.

  • Leaving out the comma before a repeated або.

    Або ты ідзеш з намі або застаешся дома.
    Або ты ідзеш з намі, або застаешся дома.

    When або (or альбо, ці) is repeated, a comma goes before the second one.

How It Connects

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

або / альбо / ціLevel 2Or with Або, Альбо and Ці

Learn This First

Or needs ці and basic connectors.

Words in This Pattern

абоальбоці