Fractions and Decimals
Say a fraction as a number plus a feminine ordinal: адна трэцяя (one third), дзве пятыя (two fifths), пяць сёмых (five sevenths). What is being divided goes in the genitive: дзве трэція шляху (two thirds of the way).
How It Works
A fraction has two parts. The first is a cardinal number that says how many parts you take. The second is an ordinal that says what size the parts are. The ordinal is always feminine, because it agrees with the hidden noun частка (part). So the first number is feminine too: адна, дзве, not адзін or два.
- адна + singular: адна трэцяя (1/3), адна пятая (1/5), адна дзясятая (1/10).
- дзве, тры, чатыры + nominative plural: дзве трэція (2/3), тры чацвёртыя (3/4), чатыры пятыя (4/5). This is the same rule as two to four with the nominative plural.
- пяць and up + genitive plural: пяць сёмых (5/7), шэсць дзясятых (6/10), just like five and up with the genitive plural.
What is being divided goes in the genitive after the whole fraction: дзве трэція шляху (two thirds of the way), адна пятая заробку (a fifth of the salary). A group of people or things is genitive plural: тры чацвёртыя студэнтаў (three quarters of the students).
Decimals. Belarus writes a decimal comma: 0,5. You read the whole part with цэлая (a whole), which follows the same pattern as the parts: нуль цэлых пяць дзясятых (0,5), адна цэлая дзве дзясятыя (1,2), дзве цэлыя семдзесят пяць сотых (2,75). The measured noun is again genitive singular: нуль цэлых восем дзясятых кіламетра (0.8 km).
Everyday words. Some fractions have their own nouns. Палова (half) is a feminine noun used mostly in conversation: палова яблыка (half an apple), Дай мне палову. (Give me half.) In neutral and written Belarusian the usual word is палавіна: палавіна зімы (half the winter). The prefix паў- is written together with the noun: паўгадзіны (half an hour), паўяблыка (half an apple). Only before a proper name does it take a hyphen: паў-Слуцка (half of Slutsk). Чвэрць (quarter) and трэць (third) are feminine nouns too: чвэрць гадзіны (a quarter of an hour), тры чвэрці (three quarters). One and a half has its own word: паўтара and паўтары.
Case changes. In other cases both parts change: the number like an ordinary cardinal and the ordinal like an adjective. з дзвюма трэцімі (with two thirds), пры пяці сёмых (at five sevenths). See declension of cardinal numerals.
Examples (6)
- Мы прайшлі дзве трэція шляху.
We have covered two thirds of the way.
Word by Word: We walked two third(s) of-way.
Дзве takes the nominative plural трэція; шляху is genitive.
- Адна пятая заробку ідзе на кватэру.
A fifth of my salary goes on the flat.
Word by Word: One fifth of-salary goes on flat.
- Пяць сёмых — гэта больш за палову.
Five sevenths is more than half.
Word by Word: Five sevenths — this more than half.
After пяць the ordinal is genitive plural: сёмых.
- Шырыня ракі тут — нуль цэлых восем дзясятых кіламетра.
Here the river is 0.8 kilometres wide.
Word by Word: Width of-river here — zero wholes eight tenths of-kilometre.
Decimals count the wholes first, then the tenths.
- Дай мне, калі ласка, палову яблыка.
Please give me half an apple.
Word by Word: Give me, please, half of-apple.
Палова is a noun, so it has an accusative: палову.
- Цягнік адыходзіць праз чвэрць гадзіны.
The train leaves in a quarter of an hour.
Word by Word: Train leaves in quarter of-hour.
Common Mistakes
Using the masculine два in the numerator.
Мы прайшлі два трэція шляху.Мы прайшлі дзве трэція шляху.The ordinal agrees with the hidden feminine word частка, so the number must be feminine too: адна, дзве.
Using the nominative plural ordinal after пяць and higher.
Пяць сёмыя — гэта больш за палову.Пяць сёмых — гэта больш за палову.Only дзве, тры and чатыры take the nominative plural. From пяць up the ordinal is genitive plural: сёмых, дзясятых.
Leaving the measured noun in the nominative.
Мы прайшлі дзве трэція шлях.Мы прайшлі дзве трэція шляху.The thing being divided always follows in the genitive: шляху, кіламетра, заробку.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Fractions need ordinals and counting.
Related Patterns
- два / тры / чатыры + Nominative PluralTwo to Four with the Nominative Plural
The same rule gives дзве трэція with a nominative plural.
Level 2 - пяць and Up + Genitive PluralFive and Up with the Genitive Plural
The same rule gives пяць сёмых with a genitive plural.
Level 2 - паўтара / паўтарыOne and a Half
One and a half has its own special word.
Level 4 - Declension of Cardinal Numerals
Both parts of a fraction change for case like other numerals.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
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