Masculine Genitive -а/-у

Masculine Genitive -а or -у

Level 3Sounds Like rodny mužčynskaga rodu -a/-u

A masculine noun ends in -а/-я or -у/-ю in the genitive, depending on its meaning: кніга брата (brother's book) but кілаграм цукру (a kilogram of sugar).

How It Works

1. -а / -я: things you can count.

  • people and animals: брата, суседа, ката, каня
  • concrete objects: стала, нажа, мяча
  • units of measure and money: метра, кілаграма, рубля
  • months and days of the week: студзеня, панядзелка
  • towns and many place names: горада, Мінска

2. -у / -ю: things you measure or cannot count.

  • substances and materials: цукру, сыру, чаю, мёду, пяску
  • weather and natural events: дажджу, снегу, ветру, грому
  • feelings, qualities and abstract ideas: часу, страху, смеху, холаду
  • groups and collections: натоўпу, народу, саду
  • wide spaces and directions: лесу, краю, усходу

3. Exceptions to remember. Some foods take -а even though they are substances: хлеба, пірага, каравая. So you say кавалак хлеба but кавалак сыру.

4. Check the dictionary. Dictionaries give the genitive ending right after the headword: цукар, -кру; хлеб, -а; сыр, -у. This rule is only about the masculine singular. For the full set of endings, see genitive singular endings.

Russian speakers, take care. Russian often allows чая or снега. Belarusian uses only чаю and снегу here.

Examples (6)

  1. Гэта кніга майго брата.

    This is my brother's book.

    A person, so -а: брат → брата.

  2. Кот сядзіць каля стала.

    The cat is sitting by the table.

    A countable object, so -а: стол → стала.

  3. Купі, калі ласка, кілаграм цукру.

    Please buy a kilogram of sugar.

    A substance, so -у: цукар → цукру.

  4. У мяне няма часу.

    I don't have time.

    An abstract idea, so -у: час → часу.

  5. Мы выйшлі з лесу.

    We came out of the forest.

    Лес takes -у: лесу.

  6. Дай мне кавалак хлеба і кавалак сыру.

    Give me a piece of bread and a piece of cheese.

    Хлеб is an exception with -а; сыр follows the rule with -у.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -а for a substance, as Russian often allows.

    Кубак чая, калі ласка.
    Кубак чаю, калі ласка.

    Чай is a substance, and Belarusian uses only -ю here: чаю.

  • Giving weather words the ending -а.

    Сёлета было шмат снега.
    Сёлета было шмат снегу.

    Natural phenomena such as снег, дождж and вецер take -у: снегу, дажджу, ветру.

  • Giving a town the ending -у.

    Я прыехаў з Мінску.
    Я прыехаў з Мінска.

    Towns and cities take -а in the genitive: Мінска, горада.

How It Connects

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

Masculine Genitive -а/-уLevel 3Masculine Genitive -а or -у

Learn This First

The masculine genitive split follows genitive endings.

Words in This Pattern

хлеб