працаваць / быць / стаць + Instrumental
Instrumental for Roles and Jobs
працаваць / стаць / быў, будзе + instrumental: Ён працуе ўрачом (He works as a doctor), Я хачу стаць настаўніцай (I want to become a teacher).
How It Works
Working as: Ён працуе ўрачом (He works as a doctor), Мой бацька працуе інжынерам (My father works as an engineer). Don't add як: працаваць як урач would mean "to work like a doctor".
Becoming: Яна хоча стаць настаўніцай (She wants to become a teacher), Ён стаў лётчыкам (He became a pilot). Ask Кім ты хочаш стаць? (What do you want to be?). Кім is the instrumental of хто.
Быць in the past and future: Калі я быў студэнтам… (When I was a student…), Мой брат будзе лётчыкам (My brother is going to be a pilot). See past tense of быць and future of быць. With быць the nominative is also possible, especially for a lasting quality, but the instrumental is the usual choice for jobs and roles.
The present: no verb, so no instrumental. Ён урач. Мая мама настаўніца. (See leaving out the verb.)
Endings (see instrumental singular endings): урач → урачом, студэнт → студэнтам, лётчык → лётчыкам, настаўніца → настаўніцай. For women's job titles, see feminine nouns for people.
Examples (6)
- Ён працуе ўрачом.
He works as a doctor.
Word by Word: He works doctor-as.
урач → урачом; у becomes ў after the vowel of працуе.
- Яна хоча стаць настаўніцай.
She wants to become a teacher.
Word by Word: She wants to-become teacher.
- Кім ты хочаш стаць?
What do you want to be?
Word by Word: Who-as you want to-become?
Кім is the instrumental of хто.
- Калі я быў студэнтам, я жыў у Гродне.
When I was a student, I lived in Grodno.
Word by Word: When I was student-as, I lived in Grodno.
- Мой брат будзе лётчыкам.
My brother is going to be a pilot.
Word by Word: My brother will-be pilot-as.
- Мой бацька працуе інжынерам.
My father works as an engineer.
Word by Word: My father works engineer-as.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the job in the nominative after працаваць.
Ён працуе ўрач.Ён працуе ўрачом.After працаваць, the job goes in the instrumental.
Translating English "as" with як.
Ён працуе як урач.Ён працуе ўрачом.Here як means "like, in the manner of": he works the way a doctor would. To name someone's job, use the instrumental alone.
Using the instrumental in the present without a verb.
Ён урачом.Ён урач.In the present there is no verb, and the job stays in the nominative.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Roles need the instrumental and the zero copula.
Related Patterns
- Past Tense of быць
Быў, была, былі are often followed by the instrumental of a role.
Level 2 - Future Tense of быць
Буду, будзеш, будзе are followed by the instrumental of a role.
Level 3 - Feminine Nouns for People
Explains women's job titles like настаўніца.
Level 3 - лічыць + Accusative + InstrumentalConsidering and Calling with the Instrumental
Another use of the instrumental to name a role or quality.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice працаваць / быць / стаць + Instrumental in Bubblegum
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