Neuter Nouns in -мя
Імя ends in -я, but it is neuter: маё імя (my name), прыгожае імя (a beautiful name). In the plural it grows a new syllable: імя → імёны.
How It Works
1. Gender. These words are neuter, so adjectives and possessives take neuter endings: маё імя, старажытнае племя (an ancient tribe).
2. Singular forms. Імя has a short form and a long form in the other cases, and both are standard:
- Genitive: імя or імені, as in без імя (without a name)
- Dative: імю or імені
- Instrumental: імем or іменем, as in пад іншым імем (under a different name)
- Locative: (аб) імі or (аб) імені
3. Plural forms. The everyday plural adds -ён-: імёны, genitive імёнаў or імён, instrumental імёнамі. Племя also changes its first vowel: плямёны, плямёнаў. The dictionary lists a short plural імі as well, but імёны is the form you will meet most.
4. Only a few words. Just імя, племя and стрэмя behave this way. Other nouns in -мя, such as полымя (flame) and семя (seed), decline like ordinary neuter nouns (see neuter nouns).
Useful phrase: імя + genitive names a place after a person: школа імя Якуба Коласа (the Yakub Kolas school).
Examples (6)
- Напішыце тут сваё імя.
Write your name here.
Сваё is neuter because імя is neuter.
- Я не памятаю яго імя.
I don't remember his name.
The accusative is the same as the nominative: імя.
- Ён пісаў вершы пад іншым імем.
He wrote poems under a different name.
Instrumental, short form: імем.
- У маіх сясцёр прыгожыя імёны.
My sisters have beautiful names.
The plural adds -ён-: імёны.
- Тут калісьці жылі розныя плямёны.
Different tribes once lived here.
Племя → плямёны.
- Мая сястра вучыцца ў школе імя Якуба Коласа.
My sister goes to the Yakub Kolas school.
Імя + genitive names a place after a person.
Common Mistakes
Treating імя as feminine because it ends in -я.
Мая імя Алеся.Маё імя Алеся.Імя is neuter, so the possessive is маё.
Using the Russian plural form.
Гэта вельмі прыгожыя імена.Гэта вельмі прыгожыя імёны.Russian says имена, but the Belarusian plural is імёны, with ё under the stress.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Nouns in -мя need neuter nouns and the genitive.
Related Patterns
- Irregular Plurals
Another group of everyday nouns with an unexpected plural.
Level 2 - Young-Animal Nouns with -ят-
Another neuter group that adds a syllable in some forms: кацяня → кацяняты.
Level 5 - без + GenitiveGenitive After Без
Без імя and без імені both show the genitive after без.
Level 2 - Як цябе завуць?Asking Someone's Name
The everyday way to ask someone's name.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Neuter Nouns in -мя in Bubblegum
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