ці
Yes-No Questions with Ці
Ці marks a yes-no question: Ці ёсць тут кавярня? (Is there a café here?)
How It Works
Two ways to ask yes or no.
- Intonation only, very common in speech: Ты дома? (Are you home?)
- Ці at the start: Ці ведаеш ты Алеся? (Do you know Ales?) After ці the verb often comes before the subject, but Ці ты ведаеш Алеся? is also fine.
Ці is only for yes-no questions. A question that already has a question word such as дзе or хто does not take ці.
Other uses of ці.
- or in questions: Кава ці гарбата? (Coffee or tea?) See or with або, альбо and ці.
- whether in an indirect question: Я не ведаю, ці ён дома. See indirect yes-no questions.
Russian marks these questions with ли. Standard Belarusian has no such particle; it uses ці at the start of the sentence instead.
Answer with так or не.
Examples (5)
- Ці ведаеш ты Алеся?
Do you know Ales?
Word by Word: Whether know you Ales?
- Ці ёсць тут кавярня?
Is there a café here?
Word by Word: Whether is here café?
- Ці можна ўвайсці?
May I come in?
Word by Word: Whether allowed to-enter?
Увайсці is spelled with ў because можна ends in a vowel.
- Ці гаворыце вы па-беларуску?
Do you speak Belarusian?
Word by Word: Whether speak you in-Belarusian?
- Ты дома?
Are you home?
Word by Word: You at-home?
No ці here: rising intonation alone makes the question.
Common Mistakes
Copying the Russian question particle ли.
Ведаеш лі ты Алеся?Ці ведаеш ты Алеся?Belarusian has no question particle лі. Put ці at the start of the sentence.
Adding ці to a question that already has a question word.
Ці дзе ты жывеш?Дзе ты жывеш?Ці only marks yes-no questions. Дзе already makes the sentence a question.
Using калі to mean whether.
Я не ведаю, калі ён дома.Я не ведаю, ці ён дома.The intended meaning is I do not know whether he is home. Калі would mean when, so whether is ці.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- так / неYes and No
How to answer a yes-no question.
Level 1 - або / альбо / ціOr with Або, Альбо and Ці
Ці also means or in questions.
Level 2 - Indirect Questions with ціIndirect Yes-No Questions with Ці
Ці also means whether inside a longer sentence.
Level 3 - ёсцьThere Is with Ёсць
Ці ёсць …? asks whether something exists or is available.
Level 1 - ці неSuggestions and Suspicion with Ці Не
An advanced pattern for polite suggestions and suspicions.
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice ці in Bubblegum
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