Personal Pronoun Case Forms

Level 2Sounds Like asabovyâ zajmenníkí ŭ sklonah

Like "I" and "me" in English, Belarusian pronouns change with the case: Я бачу яго (I see him), Скажы мне (Tell me), з намі (with us).

How It Works

The forms (genitive and accusative · dative · instrumental · locative):

  • я: мяне · мне · мной (мною) · (аба) мне
  • ты: цябе · табе · табой (табою) · (аб) табе
  • ён, яно: яго · яму · ім · (аб) ім
  • яна: яе · ёй · ёй (ёю) · (аб) ёй
  • мы: нас · нам · намі · (аб) нас
  • вы: вас · вам · вамі · (аб) вас
  • яны: іх · ім · імі · (аб) іх

Genitive = accusative. Я бачу яго (I see him) uses the same form as у яго ёсць (he has) and без яго (without him).

No н- after prepositions. Russian adds н- (у него, с ним); Belarusian does not: у яго, з ім, да яе, для іх, каля нас.

Watch out for ім. Ім means both "with him" (instrumental: з ім) and "to them" (dative: Я пішу ім). The preposition or the verb shows which one is meant.

Preposition variants. Some prepositions add a vowel before these forms: са мной (with me; see з and са) and аба мне (about me).

Possessive яго, яе, іх. The same words also mean "his, her, their", and in that meaning they never change: see яго, яе and іх.

Examples (6)

  1. Я цябе люблю.

    I love you.

    Ты → цябе, the accusative.

  2. Скажы мне праўду.

    Tell me the truth.

    Я → мне, the dative.

  3. Ты ідзеш са мной?

    Are you coming with me?

    Я → мной, the instrumental; з becomes са.

  4. Гэта падарунак для яе.

    This is a present for her.

    Яна → яе, the genitive after для.

  5. У яго ёсць сабака.

    He has a dog.

    У яго: no н- after the preposition.

  6. Мы часта гаворым з ім.

    We often talk with him.

    Ён → ім, the instrumental after з.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding н- after a preposition, as in Russian.

    Я іду з ним.
    Я іду з ім.

    Belarusian pronouns keep the same form after a preposition: з ім, у яго, да яе.

  • Using the nominative as an object.

    Я бачу ён.
    Я бачу яго.

    A direct object pronoun takes the accusative form: ён → яго.

  • Mixing up мне and мяне.

    Ён бачыць мне.
    Ён бачыць мяне.

    Мне means "to me" (dative). The direct object "me" is мяне.

How It Connects

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Personal Pronoun Case FormsLevel 2

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Pronoun case forms gather the forms already met.

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Words in This Pattern

ёнянавыяныцябеягояеіх