бывала

Used to with Бывала

Level 6Sounds Like byvala

Дзед, бывала, расказваў казкі. Grandpa would tell fairy tales. Бывала means this happened again and again in the past.

How It Works

Бывала comes from the verb бываць (to happen, to be from time to time). As a comment word it means it used to happen, at times, back then. It marks events that happened again and again in the past, often with nostalgia:

  • Бывала, мы ўвечары спявалі песні. We used to sing songs in the evenings.
  • Дзед, бывала, расказваў казкі. Grandpa would tell fairy tales.

Commas. As a parenthetical word, бывала is set off with commas wherever it stands.

Verb forms. Usually the verb is imperfective past: спявалі, расказваў. In lively stories you will also see the present or the perfective future. They still describe a repeated past habit: Бывала, сядзем усе за стол і гаворым да ночы. (We would all sit down at the table and talk late into the night.) Here сядзем does not refer to the future.

Only for repeated events. For a single past event, do not use бывала: Учора ён прыйшоў позна.

Verb or comment word? The same spelling is also an ordinary past form of бываць: Яна часта бывала ў нас (She often came to see us). Then it is the verb of the sentence and takes no commas.

Examples (5)

  1. Бывала, мы ўвечары спявалі песні.

    We used to sing songs in the evenings.

    Word by Word: Used-to-happen, we in-evening sang songs.

  2. Дзед, бывала, расказваў нам казкі.

    Grandpa would tell us fairy tales.

    Word by Word: Grandpa, used-to-happen, told us fairy-tales.

  3. Бывала, сядзем усе за стол і гаворым да ночы.

    We would all sit down at the table and talk late into the night.

    Word by Word: Used-to-happen, will-sit-down all at table and talk till night.

    The perfective сядзем describes a repeated past habit here, not a future action.

  4. Летам, бывала, мы цэлымі днямі купаліся ў рацэ.

    In summer we would swim in the river all day long.

    Word by Word: Summer-INSTR, used-to-happen, we whole days bathed in river.

  5. Мама, бывала, скажа адно слова, і ўсе змоўкнуць.

    Mom would say just one word, and everyone would fall silent.

    Word by Word: Mom, used-to-happen, will-say one word, and all will-fall-silent.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the commas around бывала.

    Дзед бывала расказваў казкі.
    Дзед, бывала, расказваў казкі.

    Бывала here is a parenthetical word, so it is set off with commas.

  • Using бывала for a single event.

    Бывала, учора ён прыйшоў позна.
    Учора ён прыйшоў позна.

    Бывала means something happened repeatedly. A single event on a single day does not fit; simply use the past tense.

How It Connects

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

бывалаLevel 6Used to with Бывала

Learn This First

Used to needs the imperfective.

Words in This Pattern

бываць