Masculine Nouns
A noun that ends in a consonant, like стол (table), брат (brother) or чай (tea), is usually masculine. It goes with мой and adjectives in -ы/-і: мой новы стол.
How It Works
Three kinds of endings.
- a hard consonant: стол (table), брат (brother), горад (city), дождж (rain), сябар (friend)
- -ь: дзень (day), конь (horse), госць (guest)
- -й: чай (tea), край (land, edge), музей (museum), трамвай (tram)
Watch the -ь nouns. A final -ь does not tell you the gender. Дзень and конь are masculine, but соль (salt) and восень (autumn) are feminine. Learn the gender with the word: цёплы дзень (a warm day), цёплая восень (a warm autumn). See feminine nouns.
Men in -а. Бацька (father), мужчына (man) and дзядуля (grandpa) end in -а or -я, but they name men, so they are masculine: мой бацька, добры мужчына. Their case endings are special; see masculine nouns in -а.
Not the same as Russian. Several nouns are masculine in Belarusian but not in Russian: сабака (dog), боль (pain), цень (shadow), медаль (medal), стэп (steppe) and яблык (apple). So you say мой сабака and вялікі яблык.
What agrees with a masculine noun.
- мой, твой: мой брат (мой and твой)
- adjectives in -ы/-і: новы стол, добры дзень (adjective agreement)
- the pronoun ён, even for things: Дзе стол? Ён тут. (ён, яна, яно)
- the past tense: стол стаяў (past tense in -ў)
Vowels can change in other forms. Some masculine nouns lose a vowel or change it when an ending is added: дзень → дні (days), сябар → сябры (friends), стол → сталы (tables, because of akanye).
Examples (6)
- Гэта мой брат Алесь.
This is my brother Ales.
Word by Word: This my brother Ales.
Брат ends in a consonant, so it is masculine and takes мой.
- Сёння цёплы дзень.
It is a warm day today.
Word by Word: Today warm day.
Дзень ends in -ь but is masculine, so the adjective is цёплы.
- Чай гарачы.
The tea is hot.
Word by Word: Tea hot.
Чай ends in -й and is masculine: гарачы.
- Мой бацька — настаўнік.
My father is a teacher.
Word by Word: My father — teacher.
Бацька ends in -а, but it means father, so it is masculine: мой.
- У нас вялікі сабака.
We have a big dog.
Word by Word: At us big dog.
Сабака is masculine in Belarusian, so the adjective is вялікі.
- Дзе мой тэлефон? — Ён на стале.
Where is my phone? — It is on the table.
Word by Word: Where my phone? — He on table.
A masculine thing is ён, not яно.
Common Mistakes
Giving сабака feminine agreement, as in Russian.
Мая сабака вельмі добрая.Мой сабака вельмі добры.In Belarusian сабака is masculine, so мой and добры take masculine forms.
Guessing that a noun in -ь is feminine.
Сёння цёплая дзень.Сёння цёплы дзень.Дзень is masculine. A final -ь can belong to either gender, so learn each noun with its gender.
Using яна or яно for a masculine thing.
Дзе мой тэлефон? — Яно на стале.Дзе мой тэлефон? — Ён на стале.Things are ён, яна or яно by grammatical gender. Тэлефон is masculine, so it is ён.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Masculine nouns follow the gender overview.
Related Patterns
- Feminine Nouns
Feminine nouns, including those in -ь.
Level 1 - Neuter Nouns
Neuter nouns, the third gender.
Level 1 - Masculine Nouns in -аMasculine Nouns Ending in -а
Case endings of бацька and мужчына.
Level 3 - Adjective Agreement
Adjectives take masculine endings like новы.
Level 1 - мой / твойPossessives Мой and Твой
мой and твой agree with a masculine noun.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Masculine Nouns in Bubblegum
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