The Infinitive

Level 1Sounds Like ínfínítyŭ

Belarusian infinitives end in -ць, -ці or -чы: чытаць (to read), ісці (to go), пячы (to bake).

How It Works

The infinitive is the basic form of a verb. It does not change for person, so it looks the same whoever does the action.

Three endings:

  • -ць after a vowel. This is by far the most common ending: чытаць (to read), гаварыць (to speak), хацець (to want), жыць (to live), працаваць (to work).
  • -ці after a consonant, usually с or з: ісці (to go on foot), несці (to carry), везці (to transport).
  • -чы in a small group whose stem ends in к or г: пячы (to bake), магчы (to be able), берагчы (to protect), бегчы (to run).

Where Russian has -ть, Belarusian writes -ць. This is the same soft ц sound described in tsekanye: читать → чытаць.

Where you meet the infinitive:

  • after хацець and любіць: Я хачу спаць (I want to sleep), Я люблю чытаць (I like to read);
  • after умець, магчы and пачынаць: Ты ўмееш плаваць? (Can you swim?);
  • on its own in short questions and set phrases: Што рабіць? (What should I do?), Пара ісці. (It's time to go.)

Only the first verb changes its ending; the infinitive after it stays as it is: я хачу чытаць, мы хочам чытаць.

Verbs with -ся have infinitives in -цца (from -ць + ся), -ціся or -чыся: вучыцца (to study), смяяцца (to laugh). See reflexive verbs.

Examples (6)

  1. Я хачу чытаць.

    I want to read.

    Word by Word: I want to-read.

    чытаць: a vowel before the ending, so -ць.

  2. Ты ўмееш плаваць?

    Can you swim?

    Word by Word: You know-how to-swim?

    The infinitive плаваць follows умець (to know how to).

  3. Пара ісці дадому.

    It's time to go home.

    Word by Word: Time to-go home.

    ісці: a consonant before the ending, so -ці.

  4. Мама любіць пячы пірагі.

    Mom loves baking pies.

    Word by Word: Mom loves to-bake pies.

    пячы is one of the verbs ending in -чы.

  5. Ён не можа знайсці ключы.

    He can't find the keys.

    Word by Word: He not can to-find keys.

    знайсці ends in -ці, like its base verb ісці.

  6. Куды ісці?

    Which way should we go?

    Word by Word: Where-to to-go?

    An infinitive on its own can ask what to do.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the Russian infinitive ending -ть.

    Я хачу чытать.
    Я хачу чытаць.

    Belarusian has no -ть ending in the infinitive. After a vowel the ending is always -ць.

  • Conjugating the second verb as well.

    Я хачу чытаю.
    Я хачу чытаць.

    Only the first verb (хачу) shows the person. The verb after it stays in the infinitive.

  • Building ідці for "to go" on the pattern of Russian идти.

    Нам пара ідці.
    Нам пара ісці.

    The Belarusian infinitive of "to go on foot" is ісці, even though the present forms are іду, ідзеш.

How It Connects

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The InfinitiveLevel 1

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Words in This Pattern

-ць