Added Sounds at the Start of Words

Level 4Sounds Like prystaŭnyâ gukí

в before a stressed о or a root у: вока, восень, вуха, вуліца. When the stress moves, the в before о goes: во́зера → азёры.

How It Works

1. В before a stressed о. Native words that would start with a stressed о add в: возера (lake), восень (autumn), вокны (windows), востраў (island), вобласць (region). When the stress moves away, о becomes а by akanye and the в disappears:

  • во́зера → азёры (lakes)
  • во́сень → асе́нні (autumn, adjective)
  • акно́ → во́кны (window → windows)

A few words keep в in every form: вока (eye; вачэй), востры (sharp; вастрыць), восем (eight; васьмёра) and вакол (around).

2. В before a root у. Here the в stays wherever the stress falls: вуліца (street), вуха (ear; вушы, вушэй), вусы (moustache; вусаты), вугал (corner), вучыцца (to study; навука).

3. No в in loanwords and many names. опера, офіс, урна, унія, універсітэт; Орша, Урал, Украіна. See spelling loanwords.

4. Added і. Before м and another consonant, і is always added: імгла (haze), імчацца (to rush), імгненне (moment). Before р or л and a consonant, і appears at the start of a sentence, after a punctuation mark or after a word ending in a consonant: іржа (rust), ільняны (linen). After a word ending in a vowel it is left out: …поле ржышчам (the field with stubble, after поле). It is also dropped after a prefix ending in a vowel: заржавець (to rust). Some words have an а- variant instead: імшара or амшара (moss bog).

5. Added г. The г in гэты, гэта and гэтак is historically an added sound too.

This is why dictionary lists of nouns and their plurals sometimes start with different letters.

Examples (6)

  1. Беларусь называюць краінай азёр.

    Belarus is called the land of lakes.

    Word by Word: Belarus they-call country of-lakes.

    Во́зера has в, but in азёр the stress moves, о becomes а and the в disappears.

  2. Восенню ў лесе вельмі прыгожа.

    In autumn the forest is very beautiful.

    Word by Word: In-autumn in forest very beautiful.

  3. Усе вокны былі адчыненыя.

    All the windows were open.

    Word by Word: All windows were opened.

    The singular is акно, with an unstressed а and no в.

  4. Мы жывём на ціхай вуліцы.

    We live on a quiet street.

    Word by Word: We live on quiet street.

  5. Мой брат вучыцца ва ўніверсітэце.

    My brother studies at university.

    Word by Word: My brother studies in university.

    Вучыцца has в before the root у; the loanword ўніверсітэт has none.

  6. Над ракой стаяла імгла.

    Haze hung over the river.

    Word by Word: Over river stood haze.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out в before a root у.

    Мы жывём на ціхай уліцы.
    Мы жывём на ціхай вуліцы.

    Вуліца always starts with в, because у is at the start of the root.

  • Keeping в after the stress has moved.

    Быў цёплы восенні дзень.
    Быў цёплы асенні дзень.

    In асенні the stress is not on the first syllable, so о becomes а and the added в disappears.

  • Adding в to a loanword.

    Я вельмі люблю воперу.
    Я вельмі люблю оперу.

    Loanwords such as опера, офіс and урна do not take the added в.

How It Connects

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Added Sounds at the Start of WordsLevel 4

Learn This First

Added sounds follow akanye and ў.