прабачце
Apologizing and Excuse Me
Прабачце! means Sorry! or Excuse me! (polite, or to several people). Прабач! means Sorry! to one friend.
How It Works
Use it to:
- apologize: Прабачце, што я спазніўся (Sorry I'm late, said by a man) or спазнілася (said by a woman);
- get attention: Прабачце, дзе тут метро? (Excuse me, where is the metro?);
- ask someone to repeat: Прабачце, што вы сказалі? (Sorry, what did you say?).
There are three equally standard pairs: прабач / прабачце, выбачай / выбачайце, даруй / даруйце. Use the form without -це for one person you call ты, and the form with -це for вы. See загадны лад адзіночнага ліку and загадны лад -це.
The person you ask to forgive you goes in the dative: Прабач мне (Forgive me).
Spelling: ч is always hard, so no soft sign is written after it: прабач, прабачце. See цвёрдыя ж ш ч р ц.
Examples (5)
- Прабачце, дзе тут метро?
Excuse me, where is the metro around here?
Word by Word: Excuse, where here metro?
- Прабачце, што я спазніўся.
Sorry I'm late.
Word by Word: Forgive, that I was-late.
Said by a man; a woman says спазнілася.
- Прабач мне, я не хацела.
Forgive me, I didn't mean to.
Word by Word: Forgive to-me, I not wanted.
Said by a woman to a friend. Мне is in the dative.
- Выбачайце, вы не ведаеце, колькі часу?
Excuse me, do you know what time it is?
Word by Word: Excuse, you not know, how-much of-time?
- Даруйце, што вы сказалі?
Sorry, what did you say?
Word by Word: Forgive, what you said?
Common Mistakes
Writing a soft sign after ч.
Прабачьце, дзе тут метро?Прабачце, дзе тут метро?Ч is always hard, so no ь is written after it.
Using the Russian word.
Извініце, дзе тут метро?Прабачце, дзе тут метро?Извините is Russian. Belarusian says прабачце, выбачайце or даруйце.
Using the informal form to a group.
Прабач, сябры, я спазніўся.Прабачце, сябры, я спазніўся.Прабач is for one person. Use прабачце for several people.
Related Patterns
- калі ласкаPlease and You Are Welcome
Another everyday polite phrase for requests.
Level 1 - дзякуйThanking
Thanking someone after they help you.
Level 1 - Singular Imperative
Прабач is a singular command form.
Level 2 - Imperative + -цеPlural and Polite Imperative
Прабачце adds the polite or plural -це.
Level 2 - Always-Hard ж, ш, ч, р, цAlways-Hard Ж, Ш, Ч, Р and Ц
Explains why прабачце has no soft sign.
Level 1 - Agreement with Polite вы
Прабачце goes with the polite вы.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice прабачце in Bubblegum
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