па + Accusative (Going to Get)

Going to Get with Па

Level 3Sounds Like pa + vínavalʹny méty

To go and get something, use a motion verb + па + accusative: Схадзі па хлеб (Go and get some bread).

How It Works

1. Going to fetch something. A motion verb + па + accusative names the goal of the trip:

  • Схадзі па хлеб. (Go and get some bread.)
  • Яна пайшла па ваду. (She went for water.)
  • Я збегаю ў краму па малако. (I will run to the shop for milk.)

2. Picking up people. A person after па takes the accusative, so a masculine person uses the genitive-like form (see animate accusative): Тата паехаў на вакзал па бабулю (Dad went to the station to pick up Grandma), Прыйдзі па мяне а шостай (Come and pick me up at six), Паслалі па доктара (They sent for the doctor).

3. Typical verbs. схадзіць, збегаць, пайсці, паехаць, прыйсці, прыехаць, паслаць.

4. Mushrooms and berries. For picking in the forest, Belarusians say пайсці ў грыбы or пайсці па грыбы. To buy them at a shop or market, say па грыбы.

5. What about за + instrumental? You will also hear схадзіць за хлебам, the pattern Russian uses. Па + accusative is the traditional Belarusian way to say this, and за + instrumental also means behind or following (ісці за кім). Use па. See common Russianisms.

6. Watch the case. The case changes the meaning: ісці па ваду (to go for water) but ісці па вадзе (to walk on water). See па with the locative.

Examples (6)

  1. Схадзі па хлеб, калі ласка.

    Please go and get some bread.

    Хлеб is inanimate, so the accusative looks like the dictionary form.

  2. Яна пайшла па ваду.

    She went for water.

    Вада → ваду in the accusative.

  3. Я збегаю ў краму па малако.

    I will run to the shop for milk.

  4. Тата паехаў на вакзал па бабулю.

    Dad went to the station to pick up Grandma.

    Бабуля → бабулю: па can name a person you collect.

  5. Прыйдзі па мяне а шостай.

    Come and pick me up at six.

    Я → мяне in the accusative.

  6. Восенню мы ходзім у лес па грыбы.

    In the autumn we go to the forest for mushrooms.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the locative when you mean going to get water.

    Яна пайшла па вадзе.
    Яна пайшла па ваду.

    Па вадзе means walking on the water. To fetch water, use the accusative: па ваду.

  • Putting an inanimate noun in the genitive.

    Схадзі па хлеба.
    Схадзі па хлеб.

    Па takes the accusative here. Хлеб is inanimate, so it keeps its dictionary form.

  • Using мне instead of the accusative мяне.

    Прыйдзі па мне а шостай.
    Прыйдзі па мяне а шостай.

    The person you pick up is in the accusative: мяне. Мне is the dative or locative form.

How It Connects

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па + Accusative (Going to Get)Level 3Going to Get with Па

Learn This First

Going to get needs motion verbs and the animate accusative.

Words in This Pattern

па