паміж / сярод

Between and Among

Level 3Sounds Like pamíž í sârod

Паміж (between) + instrumental: паміж домам і школай. Сярод (among) + genitive: сярод сяброў.

How It Works

1. Паміж: between. Паміж takes the instrumental, and every item it links needs that case (see instrumental endings):

  • паміж домам і школай (between the house and the school)
  • паміж дрэвамі (between the trees)
  • паміж намі (between us)

2. Between people and ideas. Паміж also links people who share something and things being compared: Хай гэта застанецца паміж намі (Let this stay between us), Якая розніца паміж гэтымі словамі? (What is the difference between these words?)

3. Сярод: among or in the middle of. Сярод takes the genitive (see genitive plural). It places something inside a group, or in the middle of a place or a stretch of time:

  • сярод сяброў (among friends)
  • сярод лесу (in the middle of the forest)
  • сярод ночы (in the middle of the night)

4. Related forms. Між is a shorter, more poetic form of паміж. Пасярод (in the middle of) also takes the genitive. Паміж and між can also take the genitive plural, especially in writing: паміж хмар (between the clouds). The instrumental is the everyday choice.

5. Pronouns. The pronoun forms have no н-: паміж намі, паміж імі, сярод нас, сярод іх. See pronoun case forms.

Examples (6)

  1. Паміж домам і школай ёсць парк.

    There is a park between the house and the school.

    Both дом and школа take the instrumental: домам, школай.

  2. Хай гэта застанецца паміж намі.

    Let this stay between us.

    Мы → намі in the instrumental.

  3. Якая розніца паміж гэтымі словамі?

    What is the difference between these words?

    The plural instrumental ends in -амі.

  4. Сярод маіх сяброў шмат настаўнікаў.

    There are many teachers among my friends.

    Сябры → сяброў in the genitive plural.

  5. Сярод лесу ёсць маленькае возера.

    There is a small lake in the middle of the forest.

    Лес → лесу in the genitive.

  6. Я прачнуўся сярод ночы.

    I woke up in the middle of the night.

    Сярод can place an event in the middle of a stretch of time.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting only the first item after паміж in the instrumental.

    Паміж домам і школа ёсць парк.
    Паміж домам і школай ёсць парк.

    Both items after паміж need the instrumental: домам і школай.

  • Using the instrumental after сярод.

    Я сядзеў сярод сябрамі.
    Я сядзеў сярод сяброў.

    Сярод takes the genitive, not the instrumental: сяброў.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

паміж / сяродLevel 3Between and Among

Learn This First

Between and among need the instrumental and genitive plural.

Words in This Pattern

паміжсярод