я
The Pronoun Я (I)
Я means "I": Я студэнт (I am a student), Я жыву ў Мінску (I live in Minsk). Unlike English "I", it is written with a small letter in the middle of a sentence.
How It Works
Я as the subject
- No "am": Я студэнт. (I am a student.) Я дома. (I am at home.) See Leaving Out Is in the Present.
- Verb ending -у/-ю: я чытаю, я жыву, я гавару. See Present Tense with Я. A few verbs are irregular: я ем; see Irregular Verbs Есці and Даць.
- Gender shows up later: in the past tense a man says я быў and a woman says я была. Job nouns can change too: Я студэнт / Я студэнтка.
Other forms of я
- мяне — me: Ён бачыць мяне. (He sees me.) Мяне завуць Алесь.
- мне — to me: Дай мне кнігу. (Give me the book.)
- мной / мною — with me: Хадзі са мной. (Come with me.)
Because the verb ending already shows "I", я is often dropped: Ведаю. (I know.) See Dropping the Subject Pronoun.
Spelling: я is written with a small letter unless it starts a sentence.
Examples (6)
- Я студэнт.
I am a student.
Word by Word: I student.
No word for "am" in the present. A woman says Я студэнтка.
- Я студэнтка з Брэста.
I am a student from Brest.
Word by Word: I student (female) from Brest.
- Я жыву ў Мінску.
I live in Minsk.
Word by Word: I live in Minsk.
The verb ends in -у after я.
- Я не ведаю.
I don't know.
Word by Word: I not know.
- Гэта я, Алеся!
It's me, Alesia!
Word by Word: This I, Alesia!
After гэта, the subject form я is used.
- Я люблю каву з малаком.
I love coffee with milk.
Word by Word: I love coffee with milk.
Common Mistakes
Capitalizing я in the middle of a sentence.
Сёння Я дома.Сёння я дома.Only English capitalizes "I". In Belarusian я is lowercase unless it starts the sentence.
Adding a word for "am".
Я ёсць студэнт.Я студэнт.In the present tense the linking verb is normally left out. Ёсць means "there is", not "am".
Using я as an object.
Ён бачыць я.Ён бачыць мяне.When "I" is the object, use мяне (me).
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- тыInformal Singular You
Ты is the informal "you", the partner of я in everyday conversation.
Level 1 - мыThe Pronoun Мы (We)
Мы (we) is the plural group that includes я.
Level 1 - Leaving Out Is in the Present
Explains why Я студэнт needs no word for "am".
Level 1 - я + -у/-юPresent Tense with Я
Shows the verb endings that go with я.
Level 1 - Personal Pronoun Case Forms
Lists мяне, мне and мной, the other forms of я.
Level 2 - Dropping the Subject Pronoun
Shows when я can be left out because the verb ending is enough.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
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