Verbs in -аваць/-яваць

Verbs in -аваць and -яваць

Level 2Sounds Like dzeâslovy na -avacʹ

Працаваць (to work) → я працую, ты працуеш, яны працуюць. The -ава- turns into -у-.

How It Works

This is one of the most common verb groups in Belarusian, and it includes many loanwords. The suffix -ава- (or -ява-) only appears in the infinitive and the past. Everywhere else it turns into -у- (or -ю-).

працаваць (to work):

  • я працую, ты працуеш, ён/яна працуе
  • мы працуем, вы працуеце, яны працуюць
  • imperative: працуй, працуйце
  • past: працаваў, працавала, працавалі

After a soft consonant the suffix is -ява- and becomes -ю-: маляваць → малюю, малюеш (to draw). When the infinitive is stressed on the suffix, the stress moves onto the -у- or -ю-: працава́ць → працу́ю, малява́ць → малю́ю. A verb stressed on its root keeps that stress: дзя́каваць → дзя́кую.

Common verbs in this group: будаваць → будую (build), танцаваць → танцую (dance), фатаграфаваць → фатаграфую (photograph), сумаваць → сумую (miss, feel sad; see сумаваць па), дзякаваць → дзякую (thank). The everyday word дзякуй comes from this last verb; see also thanking someone in the dative.

Reflexive and perfective verbs follow the same pattern: хвалявацца → хвалююся (to worry), паспрабаваць → паспрабую (I will try), пабудаваць → пабудую (I will build).

Watch out for даваць, -знаваць and -ставаць. Here -ва- is not the -ава- suffix. These verbs drop -ва- and keep the а: даваць → даю, даеш (give), пазнаваць → пазнаю (recognize), уставаць → устаю (get up).

Verbs that end in a consonant plus -ваць, such as расказваць (to tell), keep -ва- in the present: расказваю. See secondary imperfectives.

Examples (6)

  1. Я працую ў бальніцы.

    I work at a hospital.

    Word by Word: I work in hospital.

  2. Што ты малюеш?

    What are you drawing?

    Word by Word: What you draw?

  3. Я вельмі сумую па табе.

    I miss you very much.

    Word by Word: I very miss about you.

  4. Мы будуем новы дом.

    We are building a new house.

    Word by Word: We build new house.

  5. Дзякую за дапамогу!

    Thank you for the help!

    Word by Word: I-thank for help!

    Дзякую is the я form of дзякаваць.

  6. Раней ён працаваў у Мінску.

    He used to work in Minsk.

    Word by Word: Earlier he worked in Minsk.

    The past tense keeps -ава-.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping -ава- in the present tense.

    Я працаваю ў офісе.
    Я працую ў офісе.

    In the present, -ава- becomes -у-: працую.

  • Applying the -ую pattern to даваць.

    Я дую табе кнігу.
    Я даю табе кнігу.

    Даваць is not an -аваць verb in this sense. It drops -ва- and keeps а: даю, даеш.

  • Using the present stem in the past tense.

    Учора я працуў дома.
    Учора я працаваў дома.

    The past tense is built from the infinitive, so -ава- comes back: працаваў.

How It Connects

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Verbs in -аваць/-явацьLevel 2Verbs in -аваць and -яваць

Learn This First

-аваць verbs follow the first conjugation.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-аваць