дзе / куды in Relative Clauses

Relative Дзе and Куды

Level 3Sounds Like dze í kudy ŭ adnosnym skaze

After a place noun, дзе means where and куды means where to: горад, дзе я нарадзіўся (the city where I was born).

How It Works

You already know дзе, куды and адкуль as question words (where, where to and where from). The same words can link a clause to a noun that names a place. The clause then describes that place, the way where does in English.

  • дзе: location. The verb says where something is or happens: кавярня, дзе мы пазнаёміліся (the café where we met).
  • куды: direction. The verb is a motion verb such as ісці, ехаць, хадзіць, or a verb of putting: кавярня, куды мы часта ходзім (the café we often go to).
  • адкуль: origin: вёска, адкуль родам мая бабуля (the village my grandmother comes from).

Ask which question the clause answers on its own. Мы часта ходзім. Куды? So the linking word is куды, even though English just says the café we go to.

With які. A place can also take які with a preposition: горад, у якім я нарадзіўся means the same as горад, дзе я нарадзіўся. Дзе is shorter and very common in speech.

With там and туды. The clause can also follow там or туды instead of a noun: Я жыву там, дзе працую. (I live where I work.) Ідзі туды, куды ўсе ідуць. (Go where everyone is going.)

Commas. The clause is always set off by a comma, and by a second comma if the sentence goes on: Горад, дзе я нарадзіўся, вельмі маленькі. See commas in complex sentences.

For a time, use калі instead: дзень, калі мы сустрэліся (the day when we met). See time clauses with калі.

Examples (6)

  1. Гэта горад, дзе я нарадзіўся.

    This is the city where I was born.

    Word by Word: This city, where I was-born.

    Said by a man. A woman says: дзе я нарадзілася.

  2. Мы пайшлі ў кавярню, куды часта ходзім па суботах.

    We went to the café we often go to on Saturdays.

    Word by Word: We went to café, where-to often go on Saturdays.

  3. Я памятаю парк, дзе мы ўпершыню сустрэліся.

    I remember the park where we first met.

    Word by Word: I remember park, where we for-the-first-time met.

  4. Вёска, адкуль родам мая бабуля, стаіць каля ракі.

    The village my grandmother comes from stands by a river.

    Word by Word: Village, from-where by-birth my grandmother, stands near river.

  5. Пакладзі ключы туды, куды ты іх заўсёды кладзеш.

    Put the keys where you always put them.

    Word by Word: Put keys there-to, where-to you them always put.

    Класці is a verb of putting, so куды.

  6. Гэта крама, дзе можна купіць свежы хлеб.

    This is a shop where you can buy fresh bread.

    Word by Word: This shop, where possible to-buy fresh bread.

Common Mistakes

  • Using дзе with a verb of going.

    Гэта кавярня, дзе мы часта ходзім.
    Гэта кавярня, куды мы часта ходзім.

    Here хадзіць means going to the café, so the clause answers куды? Use дзе only when the verb says where something is or happens.

  • Using які without the preposition a place needs.

    Гэта горад, які я нарадзіўся.
    Гэта горад, дзе я нарадзіўся.

    Нарадзіцца needs a place phrase such as у горадзе. Use дзе, or keep the preposition: горад, у якім я нарадзіўся.

  • Leaving out the comma.

    Гэта горад дзе я нарадзіўся.
    Гэта горад, дзе я нарадзіўся.

    A relative clause is always separated by a comma in Belarusian, even where English uses none.

How It Connects

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дзе / куды in Relative ClausesLevel 3Relative Дзе and Куды

Learn This First

Relative дзе and куды follow які.

Words in This Pattern

кудыадкуль