каб + Infinitive
Purpose with Каб
Я прыйшоў, каб дапамагчы. (I came to help.) Use каб + infinitive to say why someone does something.
How It Works
English often shows purpose with a bare to: I came to help. Belarusian usually adds каб (in order to) and a comma: Я прыйшоў, каб дапамагчы.
Same subject. The infinitive has no subject of its own. It belongs to the subject of the main clause: Ён вывучае беларускую мову, каб чытаць Купалу. He learns, and he will read.
Different subject. When someone else is to do the action, use каб with a past-tense verb that agrees with that person: Я прыйшоў, каб ты адпачыла. (I came so that you could rest.) See каб with the past tense.
Not doing something. Put не after каб: Мы выйшлі рана, каб не спазніцца. (We left early so as not to be late.) See also lest with каб не.
After motion verbs. After verbs like прыйсці, пайсці, прыехаць, a bare infinitive is also correct: Я прыйшоў дапамагчы. Каб makes the purpose clearer.
Other positions and forms. The purpose clause can come first: Каб добра гаварыць, трэба шмат практыкавацца. (To speak well, you need to practice a lot.) Formal writing also uses для таго каб with the same meaning. To ask about purpose, use навошта (what for).
Verbs of wanting take the infinitive directly when the subject is the same: Я хачу чытаць. (I want to read.) See хацець.
Examples (6)
- Я прыйшоў, каб дапамагчы.
I came to help.
Word by Word: I came, in-order to-help.
- Ён вывучае беларускую мову, каб чытаць Купалу.
He is learning Belarusian to read Kupala.
Word by Word: He studies Belarusian language, in-order to-read Kupala.
- Мы выйшлі рана, каб не спазніцца.
We left early so as not to be late.
Word by Word: We went-out early, in-order not to-be-late.
- Каб добра гаварыць, трэба шмат практыкавацца.
To speak well, you need to practice a lot.
Word by Word: In-order well to-speak, needed much to-practice.
- Яна адчыніла акно, каб праветрыць пакой.
She opened the window to air out the room.
Word by Word: She opened window, in-order to-air room.
- Я збіраю грошы, каб купіць ровар.
I am saving money to buy a bike.
Word by Word: I collect money, in-order to-buy bike.
Common Mistakes
Keeping the infinitive when someone else does the action.
Я прыйшоў, каб ты адпачыць.Я прыйшоў, каб ты адпачыў.Once another person does the action, the infinitive no longer fits. Use the past tense agreeing with that person: ты адпачыў, or ты адпачыла for a woman.
Using для before a verb, like English for.
Я прыйшоў для дапамагчы.Я прыйшоў, каб дапамагчы.Для is a preposition and needs a noun in the genitive: для дапамогі. Before a verb, use каб.
Adding каб after хацець when you are the one who acts.
Я хачу, каб чытаць.Я хачу чытаць.Хацець takes the infinitive directly when you want to do something yourself. Каб appears only when someone else is to do it: Я хачу, каб ты чытаў.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Purpose answers навошта.
Related Patterns
- каб + Past TenseIndirect Commands and Wishes with Каб
When the subjects differ, каб takes the past tense instead of the infinitive.
Level 4 - каб неLest with Каб Не
Каб не adds the idea of avoiding something.
Level 5 - для таго кабIn Order to with Для Таго Каб
A longer, more formal way to say in order to.
Level 4 - The Infinitive
The verb form that follows каб here.
Level 1 - хацецьWanting with Хацець
Wanting to do something yourself needs no каб.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice каб + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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