было / будзе + Impersonal Word
Past and Future of Impersonal Predicates
Мне трэба было ісці. (I had to go.) Заўтра будзе холадна. (It will be cold tomorrow.) Use only было for the past and будзе for the future.
How It Works
Words like трэба (need to), можна and нельга (may, must not), холадна (cold), цяжка (hard), цікава (interesting) and сумна (sad) make sentences without a subject. In the present there is no verb: Мне холадна. (I am cold.) See the dative with state words.
Past: было. Because there is no subject for быць to agree with, it takes the neuter form было for everyone: Мне было холадна. A man, a woman or a group all say было. See the past of быць.
Future: будзе. The future is always будзе: Заўтра будзе цёпла. (It will be warm tomorrow.) Нам трэба будзе рана ўстаць. (We will need to get up early.) See the future of быць.
Word order. Было and будзе usually come right after the predicate word: трэба было, можна будзе. The order было трэба is also correct.
Negation. Put не before the predicate word: Мне не трэба было ісці. (I didn't have to go.) Там нельга будзе паліць. (Smoking will not be allowed there.)
Age. Age in the dative works the same way: Мне было дзесяць гадоў. (I was ten.) See age in the dative. For absence in the past, such as не было часу, see absence in the past and future.
Examples (6)
- Мне трэба было ісці.
I had to go.
Word by Word: To-me needed was to-go.
- Учора было вельмі холадна.
It was very cold yesterday.
Word by Word: Yesterday was very cold.
- Заўтра будзе цяжка.
Tomorrow will be hard.
Word by Word: Tomorrow will-be hard.
- Можна будзе пачакаць у калідоры.
It will be possible to wait in the hallway.
Word by Word: Possible will-be to-wait in hallway.
- Дзецям было цікава ў музеі.
The children found the museum interesting.
Word by Word: To-children was interesting in museum.
- Там нельга будзе паліць.
Smoking will not be allowed there.
Word by Word: There not-allowed will-be to-smoke.
Common Mistakes
Making было agree with the speaker.
Мне была холадна.Мне было холадна.Мне is not the subject, so быць does not agree with the speaker. Use было for everyone.
Using the plural past with a plural person.
Нам трэба былі ісці.Нам трэба было ісці.Even with нам (us), the form stays было, because the sentence has no subject.
Leaving out было in the past.
Учора мне трэба ісці да ўрача.Учора мне трэба было ісці да ўрача.Without было the sentence is in the present, which clashes with учора (yesterday).
How It Connects
Learn This First
The past and future of impersonal words need трэба and быць.
Related Patterns
- можна / нельгаPermission with Можна and Нельга
Permission words form their past and future the same way.
Level 2 - Dative + State Word: мне холаднаDative with State Words
The present-tense pattern that these past and future forms build on.
Level 2 - Past Tense of быць
The full past of быць; only было is used here.
Level 2 - не было / не будзе + GenitiveAbsence in the Past and Future
Absence in the past and future also uses не было and не будзе.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice было / будзе + Impersonal Word in Bubblegum
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