Genitive of Possession
Say "X of Y" with Y in the genitive, after X: кніга брата (the brother's book), цэнтр горада (the city center).
How It Works
1. The pattern: thing + owner in the genitive.
- машына таты (Dad's car)
- дом бацькоў (the parents' house)
- цэнтр горада (the city center)
- сталіца Беларусі (the capital of Belarus)
The same pattern covers parts and qualities: колер мора (the color of the sea), пачатак урока (the start of the lesson).
2. Word order. The owner normally comes second. Only the owner changes; the first noun keeps whatever form the sentence needs.
3. Endings. Use the genitive singular endings for one owner and the genitive plural for several: дом бацькоў.
4. No preposition. Do not add ад or з. Машына ад таты means a car that came from Dad, such as a gift.
5. Related ways to show ownership. Ask "whose?" with чый. For family members, speakers also use possessive adjectives such as мамін дом (Mom's house); see possessive adjectives in -аў and -ін.
Examples (6)
- Гэта машына таты.
This is Dad's car.
Word by Word: This car of-Dad.
Тата takes the ending -ы in the genitive: таты.
- Дом бацькоў стаіць каля лесу.
My parents' house stands near the forest.
Word by Word: House of-parents stands near forest.
Бацькоў is a genitive plural: there are two owners.
- Мы жывём у цэнтры горада.
We live in the city center.
Word by Word: We live in center of-city.
- Мінск — сталіца Беларусі.
Minsk is the capital of Belarus.
Word by Word: Minsk capital of-Belarus.
- Мне падабаецца колер мора.
I like the color of the sea.
Word by Word: To-me pleases color of-sea.
Neuter мора has the same form in the genitive.
- Гэта пакой маёй сяброўкі.
This is my friend's room.
Word by Word: This room of-my friend.
The possessive маёй is also in the genitive, to match сяброўкі.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the owner in the nominative.
Гэта кніга брат.Гэта кніга брата.The owner must be in the genitive: брата.
Adding ад to mean "of".
Гэта машына ад таты.Гэта машына таты.To say "Dad's car", use the genitive alone. With ад, it means a car that came from Dad.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Possession needs the genitive.
Related Patterns
- Genitive Plural Endings
Gives the endings for several owners, as in дом бацькоў.
Level 2 - чыйQuestion Word Чый
Чый asks "whose?", which this pattern answers.
Level 2 - Possessive Adjectives in -аў/-інPossessive Adjectives in -аў and -ін
Possessive adjectives such as мамін are another way to show ownership.
Level 4 - у + Person in the GenitiveAt Someone's Place with У
У + genitive means "at someone's place", not "someone's".
Level 2 - з + GenitiveFrom with З and the Genitive
З + genitive means "from", unlike the bare genitive of ownership.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Genitive of Possession in Bubblegum
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