класці / ставіць
Putting Things Lying or Standing
Пакладзі кнігу на стол. (Put the book on the table.) Now кніга ляжыць на стале. Пастаў кубак на паліцу. (Put the cup on the shelf.) Now кубак стаіць на паліцы.
How It Works
There are three pairs of putting verbs, each with a matching verb for the result:
- класці (imperfective) / пакласці (perfective): to lay, to put lying down. кладу, кладзеш, кладуць; past клаў, клала; command пакладзі! Result: ляжаць (ляжу, ляжыш, ляжыць, ляжаць).
- ставіць / паставіць: to stand, to put upright. стаўлю, ставіш, ставяць; command пастаў! Result: стаяць (стаю, стаіш, стаіць, стаяць).
- вешаць / павесіць: to hang. павешу, павесіш; command павесь! Result: вісець (вішу, вісіш, вісіць, вісяць).
Which one? Keys, a phone, money, a book lying flat and a blanket are laid: класці. Cups, bottles, vases, furniture, a book standing on a shelf and a parked car are stood: ставіць. Coats, pictures and lamps on a hook are hung: вешаць.
Where to, then where. The putting verb takes a destination, so у or на is followed by the accusative (accusative for destination): на стол, у шафу. The result verb takes a location, so the same prepositions take the locative (на with the locative): на стале, у шафе. This is the same split as дзе, куды and адкуль.
The imperfective forms are for habits and processes: Я заўсёды кладу ключы сюды. (I always put my keys here.) The perfective forms are for one completed action, including most one-off commands: Пакладзі ключы! See aspect pairs made with a prefix.
Examples (6)
- Пакладзі кнігу на стол.
Put the book on the table.
Word by Word: Lay book onto table.
Destination: на + accusative стол.
- Кніга ляжыць на стале.
The book is lying on the table.
Word by Word: Book lies on table.
Location: на + locative стале.
- Пастаў кубак на паліцу.
Put the cup on the shelf.
Word by Word: Stand cup onto shelf.
- Кубак стаіць на паліцы.
The cup is on the shelf.
Word by Word: Cup stands on shelf.
English just says is; Belarusian says the cup stands.
- Куды ты паклаў ключы?
Where did you put the keys?
Word by Word: Where-to you laid keys?
- Карціна вісіць над канапай.
The picture hangs above the sofa.
Word by Word: Picture hangs above sofa.
Над takes the instrumental: канапай.
Common Mistakes
Using the locative after a putting verb.
Пакладзі кнігу на стале.Пакладзі кнігу на стол.Putting has a destination, so на takes the accusative: на стол. The locative на стале goes with ляжаць.
Using the putting verb to describe where something is.
Мой тэлефон кладзе на стале.Мой тэлефон ляжыць на стале.Класці is the action of putting; кладзе means someone is putting. For where the phone is, use ляжаць.
Choosing a putting verb that does not match the position.
Пастаў паліто ў шафу.Павесь паліто ў шафу.A coat goes on a hanger, so it is hung with павесіць, and afterward it вісіць. Паставіць would mean standing it upright.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Putting needs destination and aspect pairs.
Related Patterns
- на + LocativeLocation with На and the Locative
The result verbs ляжаць, стаяць and вісець take the locative.
Level 1 - дзе / куды / адкульWhere, Where to and Where from
Куды goes with the putting verbs and дзе with the result verbs.
Level 2 - несці / насіцьCarrying: Несці and Насіць
Carrying something and then putting it down.
Level 3 - за / пад / над / перад + InstrumentalPosition with За, Пад, Над and Перад
Positions such as над канапай describe where things stand, lie or hang.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice класці / ставіць in Bubblegum
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