The Prefix з-/с-

The Prefix З- and С-

Level 4Sounds Like prystaŭka z- í s

с- before к, п, т, ф, х, ц, ч, ш, с: сказаць. з- before other consonants: зрабіць. з' before я, е, ё, ю, і: з'есці.

How It Works

The prefix з- is very common. It often makes a verb perfective (рабіць → зрабіць, есці → з'есці) or adds the meaning down, off, together. Its spelling depends on the next sound.

  • с- before a voiceless consonant (к, п, т, ф, х, ц, ч, ш, с): сказаць (say), спісаць (copy), схадзіць (go and come back), схапіць (grab), сшытак (notebook).
  • з- before a voiced consonant or л, м, н, р: зрабіць (do), зламаць (break), збегчы (run away), знайсці (find), здаць (hand in).
  • з' (with an apostrophe) before я, е, ё, ю and a stressed і: з'есці (eat up), з'ехаць (drive off), з'явіцца (appear).

Before а, у, э and ы. When the root starts with one of these vowels, the prefix is written с-: сыграць (from іграць, where і becomes ы; see ы and і), сарганізаваць, сэканоміць. Two words keep з-: зыначыць and зымправізаваць.

Other prefixes follow the same rule. раз-/рас-: раскідаць; уз-/ус-: ускочыць, узняць; без-/бес-: беспадстаўны, бязмежны.

The preposition never changes. The preposition з is a separate word and is always written з, even though it sounds like [с] before a voiceless consonant: з табой, з кавай, з цукрам. It only turns into са before certain consonant clusters.

Examples (6)

  1. Я хачу сказаць адну рэч.

    I want to say one thing.

    Word by Word: I want to-say one thing.

    К is voiceless, so the prefix is с-.

  2. Ты ўжо зрабіў хатняе заданне?

    Have you already done your homework?

    Word by Word: You already did home task?

    Р is a sonorant, so the prefix stays з-.

  3. Хто з'еў мой бутэрброд?

    Who ate my sandwich?

    Word by Word: Who ate-up my sandwich?

    Before е, write з and an apostrophe.

  4. Давай сыграем у шахматы.

    Let's play a game of chess.

    Word by Word: Let's play in chess.

    Іграць becomes сыграць: с- before the vowel, and і turns into ы.

  5. Ён спісаў адказы ў суседа.

    He copied the answers from his neighbor.

    Word by Word: He copied answers at neighbor.

  6. Мы схадзілі ў кіно.

    We went to the cinema.

    Word by Word: We went-and-came-back to cinema.

    Схадзіць means to go somewhere and come back.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing з- before a voiceless consonant.

    Я хачу зказаць адну рэч.
    Я хачу сказаць адну рэч.

    The prefix is spelled as it sounds. Before к it is pronounced and written с-.

  • Using the Russian hard sign instead of the apostrophe.

    Хто зъеў мой бутэрброд?
    Хто з'еў мой бутэрброд?

    Belarusian has no ъ. Write an apostrophe between the prefix and я, е, ё, ю or і.

  • Changing the preposition з to с.

    Я п'ю каву с цукрам.
    Я п'ю каву з цукрам.

    The spelling rule is only for the prefix. The preposition з is always written з.

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The Prefix з-/с-Level 4The Prefix З- and С-

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The prefix з-/с- follows aspect prefixes and з.

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