Adverbs in -а/-е

Adverbs from Adjectives

Level 2Sounds Like prysloŭí na -a/-e

An adjective describes a noun (хуткі цягнік, a fast train). An adverb describes an action. Most adverbs replace the adjective ending with -а: Цягнік ідзе хутка (The train goes fast).

How It Works

1. The main pattern: -а. Take off the adjective ending and add -а:

  • добры → добра (well)
  • хуткі → хутка (quickly)
  • павольны → павольна (slowly)
  • прыгожы → прыгожа (beautifully)

Belarusian writes this ending as -а, not -о, because of akanye.

2. Stress can move. The stress sometimes shifts to the first syllable, and ё then turns into е: вясёлы → весела (cheerfully). Check new adverbs in a dictionary.

3. The -е group. A few soft-stem adjectives in -ні give -е: крайні → крайне (extremely), знешні → знешне (outwardly). These are less common and a little formal.

4. Where adverbs go. An adverb usually stands before the verb or right after it: Ты добра гаворыш па-беларуску, Яна прыгожа спявае. It answers the question як? (how?).

5. The same form describes a state. Many of these words also work as state words with no subject: Было вельмі цікава (It was very interesting), Сёння холадна (It is cold today). With a person in the dative, see мне холадна. For faster or better, see comparative adverbs.

Examples (6)

  1. Ты добра гаворыш па-беларуску.

    You speak Belarusian well.

    Добры → добра describes how you speak.

  2. Цягнік ідзе хутка.

    The train is going fast.

    Хуткі → хутка.

  3. Гаварыце, калі ласка, павольна.

    Please speak slowly.

    Павольны → павольна.

  4. Яна прыгожа спявае.

    She sings beautifully.

    Прыгожы → прыгожа, placed before the verb.

  5. Дзеці весела гуляюць у двары.

    The children are playing happily in the yard.

    Вясёлы → весела: the stress moves and ё becomes е.

  6. Было вельмі цікава.

    It was very interesting.

    Цікава as a state word with no subject.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the adjective instead of the adverb.

    Ты добры гаворыш па-беларуску.
    Ты добра гаворыш па-беларуску.

    Добры describes a person or thing. To say how someone speaks, use the adverb добра.

  • Leaving the adjective ending after a verb.

    Ён гаворыць вельмі хуткі.
    Ён гаворыць вельмі хутка.

    The word describes the action гаворыць, so it must be the adverb хутка.

  • Writing the ending as -о.

    Ён гаворыць павольно.
    Ён гаворыць павольна.

    Because of akanye, this unstressed ending is written -а in Belarusian.

How It Connects

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

Adverbs in -а/-еLevel 2Adverbs from Adjectives

Learn This First

Adverbs follow adjectives.

Words in This Pattern

-а