Always-Hard ж, ш, ч, р, ц

Always-Hard Ж, Ш, Ч, Р and Ц

Level 1Sounds Like cvërdyâ ž š č r c

Ж, ш, ч, р and ц (in words like цэнтр) are always hard. After them write а, о, у, ы, э: рэчка (small river), чытаць (to read), шэры (grey), цэнтр (center).

How It Works

In Russian, ч is soft and р is often soft. In Belarusian, ж, ш, ч, р and дж are always hard, and so is ц in words where Russian also has ц. The spelling shows this with hard-vowel letters:

  • э, not е: рэчка (small river), шэры (grey), чэсны (honest), цэны (prices), у руцэ (in the hand).
  • о, not ё: чорны (black), жоўты (yellow), шоўк (silk).
  • а, not я: рад (row), рабіна (rowan).
  • ы, not і: жыць (to live), рыс (rice), цырк (circus). See ы і і.

The soft sign is never written after these hard consonants: ноч (night), мыш (mouse), цар (tsar).

Watch out for soft ц and дз. A ц or дз before е, ё, і, ю or я is a different, soft sound that comes from т or д: цёплы (warm), ціха (quietly), дзень (day). This does not break the rule. It is a separate sound that uses the same letter. A tip for Russian speakers: if Russian has т or д in that spot (тёплый, день), expect a soft ць or дзь. If Russian has ц (центр), expect the hard ц and a hard vowel. See цеканне і дзеканне.

Examples (5)

  1. На канапе ляжыць шэры кот.

    A grey cat is lying on the sofa.

    Word by Word: On sofa lies grey cat.

    Шэры has э after ш, and ляжыць has ы after ж.

  2. Рэчка вельмі чыстая.

    The little river is very clean.

    Word by Word: Little-river very clean.

    Р is followed by э and ч by ы.

  3. Мой кот чорны.

    My cat is black.

    Word by Word: My cat black.

    After ч, Russian ё becomes о: чорны (Russian чёрный).

  4. У цэнтры горада шмат людзей.

    There are many people in the city center.

    Word by Word: In center of-city many people.

    The hard ц in цэнтр takes э.

  5. Ноч была доўгая.

    The night was long.

    Word by Word: Night was long.

    No soft sign after ч: ноч (Russian ночь).

Common Mistakes

  • Writing ё after ч.

    Мой кот чёрны.
    Мой кот чорны.

    Ч never softens, so it is followed by о, not ё.

  • Writing a soft sign after ч.

    Ночь была доўгая.
    Ноч была доўгая.

    Belarusian never writes ь after ж, ш, ч, р or the hard ц.

  • Writing е after р.

    Каля вёскі ёсць речка.
    Каля вёскі ёсць рэчка.

    Р is always hard, so it is followed by э, not е.

How It Connects

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

Always-Hard ж, ш, ч, р, цLevel 1Always-Hard Ж, Ш, Ч, Р and Ц

Learn This First

Ж, ш, ч, р and the hard ц stay hard, so their following vowels use the hard series, including ы.