бо / таму што

Because with Бо and Таму Што

Level 2Sounds Like bo í tamu što

Я не прыйшоў, бо хварэў. Мы засталіся дома, таму што ішоў дождж.

How It Works

Бо and таму што mean because. Put a comma before them:

  • Я не прыйшоў, бо хварэў. (I didn't come because I was ill.)
  • Мы засталіся дома, таму што ішоў дождж. (We stayed home because it was raining.)

Бо is one of the most common Belarusian conjunctions, in speech and in writing. Its clause comes after the main clause. After a request or command, a бо clause explains why: Апраніся цёпла, бо на вуліцы холадна. (Dress warmly, because it's cold outside.)

Таму што means the same. It is the usual way to answer Чаму? (Why?): — Чаму ты смяешся? — Таму што гэта смешна. (Why are you laughing? Because it's funny.)

Do not drop што. Таму on its own means so or therefore. It introduces a result, not a reason (таму for results). Compare:

  • Ішоў дождж, таму мы засталіся дома. (It was raining, so we stayed home.)
  • Мы засталіся дома, таму што ішоў дождж. (We stayed home because it was raining.)

The Russian word потому что has no place in Belarusian; always say таму што. A more formal word for since, паколькі, comes later.

Examples (6)

  1. Я не прыйшоў, бо хварэў.

    I didn't come because I was ill.

    Word by Word: I not came, because was-ill.

  2. Мы засталіся дома, таму што ішоў дождж.

    We stayed home because it was raining.

    Word by Word: We stayed home, because went rain.

  3. — Чаму ты смяешся? — Таму што гэта смешна.

    "Why are you laughing?" "Because it's funny."

    Word by Word: Why you laugh? Because this funny.

    Таму што starts the answer to Чаму?

  4. Апраніся цёпла, бо на вуліцы холадна.

    Dress warmly, because it's cold outside.

    Word by Word: Dress-yourself warmly, because on street cold.

    After a request, бо gives the reason for it.

  5. Я вывучаю беларускую мову, бо мая бабуля з Гродна.

    I'm learning Belarusian because my grandmother is from Hrodna.

    Word by Word: I study Belarusian language, because my grandma from Hrodna.

  6. Яна не патэлефанавала, таму што была занятая.

    She didn't call because she was busy.

    Word by Word: She not called, because was busy.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Russian-style form патаму што.

    Я не прыйшоў, патаму што хварэў.
    Я не прыйшоў, таму што хварэў.

    The Belarusian conjunction is таму што, with no па- at the start.

  • Dropping што, so the sentence no longer gives a reason.

    Мы засталіся дома, таму ішоў дождж.
    Мы засталіся дома, таму што ішоў дождж.

    Таму alone means so. It introduces a result, so it cannot introduce the reason here. Use таму што or бо.

  • Leaving out the comma before бо.

    Я не прыйшоў бо хварэў.
    Я не прыйшоў, бо хварэў.

    A comma always separates the main clause from the бо or таму што clause.

How It Connects

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

бо / таму штоLevel 2Because with Бо and Таму Што

Learn This First

Because needs чаму and connectors.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

ботаму шточаму