The Agent in the Instrumental
Кніга напісана вядомым пісьменнікам. English says by a famous writer. Belarusian puts the doer in the instrumental, with no preposition.
How It Works
In a passive sentence, the subject is the thing that the action is done to. The doer, called the agent, goes into the instrumental case with no preposition. English uses by, but Belarusian has no separate word for it.
Where it is used.
- With a passive participle: верш, напісаны Янкам Купалам (a poem written by Yanka Kupala).
- With the short form in -на/-та: Усё гэта было зроблена намі. (All this was done by us.)
- With the -ся passive: Праект падтрымліваецца ўрадам. This sounds official.
Pronouns. Use the instrumental forms (see personal pronoun case forms): мной (мною), табой, ім, ёю, намі, вамі, імі.
Not з. З + instrumental means together with (see з and the instrumental). Ліст напісаны з сястрой means someone wrote the letter together with their sister. Ліст напісаны сястрой means the sister wrote it.
In everyday speech, an active sentence is often simpler: Кнігу напісаў вядомы пісьменнік.
Examples (6)
- Кніга напісана вядомым пісьменнікам.
The book was written by a famous writer.
Word by Word: Book written famous writer(instr).
- Карціна была намалявана маім дзедам.
The painting was painted by my grandfather.
Word by Word: Painting was painted my grandfather(instr).
- Усё гэта было зроблена намі.
All of this was done by us.
Word by Word: All this was done us(instr).
- Акно было адчынена ветрам.
The window was blown open by the wind.
Word by Word: Window was opened wind(instr).
The doer does not have to be a person.
- Верш, напісаны Янкам Купалам, ведае кожны школьнік.
Every schoolchild knows the poem written by Yanka Kupala.
Word by Word: Poem, written Yanka Kupala(instr), knows every schoolchild.
- Праект падтрымліваецца ўрадам.
The project is supported by the government.
Word by Word: Project supports-itself government(instr).
Common Mistakes
Adding ад before the doer.
Кніга напісана ад вядомага пісьменніка.Кніга напісана вядомым пісьменнікам.The doer takes the instrumental with no preposition. Ад means from.
Using з, which changes the meaning.
Ліст напісаны з маёй сястрой.Ліст напісаны маёй сястрой.З сястрой means together with the sister. To say the sister wrote it, use the instrumental alone.
Leaving the doer in the nominative.
Карціна намалявана мой дзед.Карціна намалявана маім дзедам.The doer of a passive is never the subject, so it must be in the instrumental: маім дзедам.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The agent needs the passive and the instrumental.
Related Patterns
- Passive Participles in -ны/-тыPassive Participles in -ны and -ты
The passive participles that most often take an instrumental doer.
Level 4 - Predicates in -на/-таPredicates in -на and -та
Short passive predicates also name the doer this way.
Level 4 - з + InstrumentalWith: З and the Instrumental
With з, the instrumental means together with, not by.
Level 2 - Personal Pronoun Case Forms
Gives the instrumental pronoun forms: мной, намі, імі.
Level 2
Practice The Agent in the Instrumental in Bubblegum
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