Feminine and Plural Past Tense
Яна чытала (she read), мы чыталі (we read): -ла for feminine, -лі for plural.
How It Works
Forming it. Replace the masculine -ў with -ла or -лі:
- чытаў → чытала · чыталі
- быў → была · былі
- хадзіў → хадзіла · хадзілі
- пайшоў → пайшла · пайшлі
Ісці and the verbs built on it also drop the о: ішоў → ішла, ішлі; пайшоў → пайшла.
For consonant stems, add the ending to the stem: мог → магла, маглі; рос → расла, раслі. The о of мог is written а when it loses the stress, because of akanye.
Person does not matter. Я, ты and яна all take -ла when the person is female: Я была дома, Ты была дома?, Яна была дома. Мы, вы and яны all take -лі, whoever is in the group.
Polite вы. Вы always takes -лі, even when you speak politely to one person: Вы былі ў Мінску? See agreement with polite вы.
Nouns. Feminine nouns take -ла (мама чытала), and plural nouns take -лі (дзеці гулялі).
Examples (6)
- Яна чытала цікавую кнігу.
She was reading an interesting book.
Word by Word: She read interesting book.
- Я была дома ўвесь дзень.
I was at home all day.
Word by Word: I was at-home whole day.
A woman is speaking, so the verb ends in -ла.
- Мы чыталі гэты тэкст на ўроку.
We read this text in class.
Word by Word: We read this text at lesson.
- Дзеці гулялі ў парку.
The children were playing in the park.
Word by Word: Children played in park.
- Яны пайшлі дадому.
They went home.
Word by Word: They went home.
- Мама не магла знайсці ключы.
Mom could not find the keys.
Word by Word: Mom not could find keys.
Common Mistakes
Using the masculine form with a feminine subject.
Мая сястра чытаў кнігу.Мая сястра чытала кнігу.Сястра is feminine, so the verb ends in -ла.
Using a singular ending with мы.
Мы была ў кіно.Мы былі ў кіно.Мы is plural, so the verb takes -лі, even if everyone in the group is a woman.
Using a singular ending with polite вы.
Вы была ў Мінску, спадарыня?Вы былі ў Мінску, спадарыня?Polite вы always takes the plural form, even when you speak to one woman.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Other past endings follow the masculine.
Related Patterns
- Neuter Past Tense -ла/-лоNeuter Past Tense -ла and -ло
The neuter form, which is often spelled the same as the feminine.
Level 2 - Agreement with Polite вы
Polite вы always takes the plural past form.
Level 2 - Past Tense of быць
Была and былі in everyday use.
Level 2 - не + Past TenseNegating the Past
How to negate these forms.
Level 2 - Akanye: Unstressed о and э Written as а
Explains why мог becomes магла.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Feminine and Plural Past Tense in Bubblegum
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