няхай / хай
Let Him or Her with Няхай and Хай
Няхай ён прыйдзе заўтра. (Let him come tomorrow.) Хай шчасціць! (Good luck!)
How It Works
The imperative tells the person you are speaking to what to do. To say what someone else should do, or to wish something, put няхай (or хай) before a third-person verb:
- imperfective verb, present form: Няхай дзеці гуляюць. (Let the children play.)
- perfective verb, simple future form: Няхай ён прыйдзе заўтра. (Let him come tomorrow.) See the perfective future.
Three kinds of meaning.
- An instruction passed on: Скажы яму, няхай пачакае. (Tell him to wait.)
- Permission or agreement: Няхай будзе так. (So be it.)
- A wish or blessing: Няхай усё будзе добра! (May everything be well!) Хай шчасціць! (Good luck!)
Няхай or хай? They mean the same. Хай is shorter and marked as conversational in dictionaries; няхай fits every style.
For let's, including yourself, use хадзем and давай instead. Wishes can also be made with каб and the past tense, and the set phrase хай сабе means let it be, it does not matter.
Examples (6)
- Няхай ён прыйдзе заўтра.
Let him come tomorrow.
Word by Word: Let he will-come tomorrow.
- Хай шчасціць!
Good luck!
Word by Word: Let (it) be-lucky!
A very common wish.
- Няхай дзеці гуляюць у двары.
Let the children play in the yard.
Word by Word: Let children play in yard.
Imperfective гуляць, so the present form гуляюць.
- Скажы яму, няхай пачакае.
Tell him to wait.
Word by Word: Tell him, let (he) wait.
- Няхай будзе так.
So be it.
Word by Word: Let will-be so.
- Няхай усё будзе добра!
May everything be well!
Word by Word: Let everything will-be good!
Common Mistakes
Using the infinitive after няхай.
Няхай ён прыйсці заўтра.Няхай ён прыйдзе заўтра.Няхай needs a finite third-person form: прыйдзе, not the infinitive прыйсці.
Using the ты imperative after няхай.
Няхай яна пачакай.Няхай яна пачакае.Пачакай is addressed to ты. With няхай, use the яна form: пачакае.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Няхай needs the imperative and the future.
Related Patterns
- хадзем / давайLet's with Хадзем and Давай
Let's, including the speaker, uses давай or хадзем instead.
Level 2 - каб in WishesWishes with Каб
Another way to make a wish, with каб and the past tense.
Level 5 - хай сабеLet It Be with Хай Сабе
A set phrase built on хай that concedes a point.
Level 6 - каб + Past TenseIndirect Commands and Wishes with Каб
Reported requests about someone else use каб instead of няхай.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice няхай / хай in Bubblegum
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