да + Genitive

Going to with Да and the Genitive

Level 2Sounds Like da + rodny kírunku

To go to a person, use да + genitive: Я іду да сябра (I am going to my friend's). Да also means "up to, as far as": цягнік да Мінска (the train to Minsk).

How It Works

1. To a person. When you visit someone, the destination is the person: Я іду да сябра (I am going to my friend's), Мы ездзім да бабулі (We go to grandma's), Яна ідзе да доктара (She is going to the doctor).

2. Up to, as far as. цягнік да Мінска (the train to Minsk), Як прайсці да вакзала? (How do I get to the station?). When a city is simply where you are going, Belarusian usually says у Мінск (see accusative for destination). Да Мінска puts the focus on the route or the end point.

3. Until. With time words да means "until": да вечара (until the evening). The goodbye да пабачэння literally means "until seeing each other". The full "from ... to" pattern is ад ... да.

To, at, from a person. With people, all three take the genitive: да сябра (to my friend's), у сябра (at my friend's), ад сябра (from my friend's).

For Russian speakers. Belarusian normally uses да + genitive where Russian uses к + dative: Russian "к другу" is да сябра.

Examples (6)

  1. Я іду да сябра.

    I am going to my friend's place.

    Сябар → сябра, the genitive.

  2. Кожную нядзелю мы ездзім да бабулі.

    Every Sunday we go to grandma's.

    Бабуля → бабулі.

  3. Яна ідзе да доктара.

    She is going to the doctor.

    Доктар → доктара.

  4. Гэта цягнік да Мінска?

    Is this the train to Minsk?

    Да Мінска names the end point of the route.

  5. Як прайсці да вакзала?

    How do I get to the station?

    A useful phrase for asking the way.

  6. Я працую да вечара.

    I work until the evening.

    With time words, да means "until".

Common Mistakes

  • Using the dative after да, as with Russian к.

    Я іду да сябру.
    Я іду да сябра.

    Да always takes the genitive. The dative сябру is for a recipient, not a destination.

  • Using у + accusative for a person.

    Мы ездзім у бабулю.
    Мы ездзім да бабулі.

    У + accusative means going into a place, such as у школу. When the destination is a person, use да + genitive.

How It Connects

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

да + GenitiveLevel 2Going to with Да and the Genitive

Learn This First

Да + genitive names a person’s place or an endpoint; the genitive endings come first.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

да