таму for a Result

So and Therefore with Таму

Level 3Sounds Like tamu vyník

Ішоў дождж, таму мы засталіся дома. (It was raining, so we stayed at home.) Таму + the result.

How It Works

Таму links a cause to its result: Ішоў дождж, таму мы засталіся дома. The first part says why; the part after таму says what happened because of it.

Таму or таму што? They look alike but point in opposite directions:

  • таму (so) + result: Я стаміўся, таму лёг спаць. (I was tired, so I went to bed.)
  • таму што (because) + cause: Я лёг спаць, таму што стаміўся. (I went to bed because I was tired.)

See бо and таму што.

Commas. Put a comma before таму when it joins two clauses. It can also start a new sentence: Ішоў дождж. Таму мы засталіся дома. Adding і makes the link stronger: Мне было холадна, і таму я апрануў куртку.

Other ways to say so. Так што (so, and as a result) and дык (so, then) are close in meaning. Вось чаму (that is why) is also common.

Avoid паэтаму. The Russian word поэтому is таму in Belarusian. See common Russianisms.

Do not confuse this таму with the таму that means ago after a time phrase: два дні таму (two days ago). See ago with таму.

Examples (6)

  1. Ішоў дождж, таму мы засталіся дома.

    It was raining, so we stayed at home.

    Word by Word: Went rain, so we stayed at-home.

  2. Я стаміўся, таму лёг спаць рана.

    I was tired, so I went to bed early.

    Word by Word: I got-tired, so lay-down to-sleep early.

  3. Аўтобус не прыйшоў, таму я пайшла пешшу.

    The bus did not come, so I walked.

    Word by Word: Bus not came, so I went on-foot.

  4. Мне было холадна, і таму я апрануў куртку.

    I was cold, so I put on a jacket.

    Word by Word: To-me was cold, and so I put-on jacket.

  5. Заўтра экзамен, таму сёння я не пайду ў кіно.

    There is an exam tomorrow, so I won't go to the cinema today.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow exam, so today I not will-go to cinema.

  6. Ён добра ведае горад, таму мы папрасілі яго дапамагчы.

    He knows the city well, so we asked him to help.

    Word by Word: He well knows city, so we asked him to-help.

Common Mistakes

  • Using таму што (because) where the result follows.

    Ішоў дождж, таму што мы засталіся дома.
    Ішоў дождж, таму мы засталіся дома.

    Таму што means because, so this says it rained because we stayed at home. Before a result, use таму alone.

  • Using the Russianism паэтаму.

    Ішоў дождж, паэтаму мы засталіся дома.
    Ішоў дождж, таму мы засталіся дома.

    Паэтаму copies Russian поэтому and is not standard Belarusian. Use таму or вось чаму.

How It Connects

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

таму for a ResultLevel 3So and Therefore with Таму

Learn This First

Result таму follows reason таму што.

Words in This Pattern

таму