Masculine Past Tense in -ў

Level 2Sounds Like prošly čas mužčynskaga rodu na -ŭ

Ён чытаў (he read), я быў (I was, said by a man): the masculine past ends in -ў.

How It Works

Forming it. Take the infinitive, remove -ць, and add -ў:

  • чытаць → чытаў (read)
  • быць → быў (was)
  • хадзіць → хадзіў (walked, went)
  • жыць → жыў (lived)
  • рабіць → рабіў (did)

This -ў matches the Russian ending -л (читал). It is the letter ў, a short w-like sound.

Consonant stems. Some verbs in -сці, -зці and -чы have a stem that ends in a consonant. Their masculine past has no -ў: несці → нёс (carried), везці → вёз (drove, transported), магчы → мог (could), пячы → пёк (baked), расці → рос (grew). Other verbs in -сці still take -ў: есці → еў (ate), класці → клаў (put).

Ісці. The verb ісці (to go on foot) has its own past stem: ішоў. Verbs built on it follow it: пайшоў (left, set off), прыйшоў (came).

Who uses it. Use the masculine form with ён, with masculine nouns (бацька чытаў, цягнік прыйшоў), and with я or ты when that person is male. A man says Я быў дома; a woman says Я была дома. See feminine and plural past.

Reflexive verbs add -ся after the -ў: вучыўся (studied), смяяўся (laughed).

Examples (6)

  1. Учора ён чытаў кнігу.

    Yesterday he was reading a book.

    Word by Word: Yesterday he read book.

  2. Я быў у Мінску.

    I was in Minsk.

    Word by Word: I was in Minsk.

    A man is speaking, so the verb is masculine.

  3. Бацька прыйшоў дадому позна.

    Dad came home late.

    Word by Word: Father came home late.

  4. Ён нёс цяжкую сумку.

    He was carrying a heavy bag.

    Word by Word: He carried heavy bag.

    The stem of несці ends in a consonant, so there is no -ў.

  5. Мой брат не мог спаць.

    My brother could not sleep.

    Word by Word: My brother not could sleep.

  6. Ты хадзіў у краму?

    Did you go to the shop?

    Word by Word: You went to shop?

    Speaking to a man.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Russian ending -л.

    Ён чытал кнігу.
    Ён чытаў кнігу.

    The Belarusian masculine past ends in -ў, not -л.

  • Using the masculine form when a woman talks about herself.

    Я ўчора быў у кіно.
    Я ўчора была ў кіно.

    The speaker here is a woman. The past tense follows the speaker's gender, so she says была.

How It Connects

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

Masculine Past Tense in -ўLevel 2

Learn This First

The past tense needs ў and the infinitive.