Instrumental of Route
Мы ішлі лесам. The instrumental лесам names the route: we walked through the forest.
How It Works
With a verb of motion, a noun in the instrumental can name the way you take to get somewhere. No preposition is used:
- Мы ішлі лесам. We walked through the forest.
- Паедзем палявой дарогай. Let's take the field road.
- Лодка плыла ракой. The boat sailed along the river.
Typical route nouns are дарога, вуліца, сцежка, лес, поле, бераг, рака, мора. Often the noun has an adjective or a demonstrative: гэтай дарогай (this way), іншай вуліцай (by another street), кароткім шляхам (by a short way).
Compare the prepositions. The instrumental focuses on the route as a whole, the way chosen to get somewhere. Other phrases describe the space differently:
- ісці лесам: go through the forest as your route.
- хадзіць па лесе: walk around inside the forest (па with the locative).
- ісці праз лес: go across the forest to the other side (праз).
Route or means? The same form also names a vehicle: ехаць цягніком (by train, see the instrumental of means). The noun decides it: a train carries you, a road is where you go.
Examples (6)
- Мы ішлі дадому лесам.
We walked home through the forest.
Word by Word: We walked home forest-INSTR.
- Паедзем палявой дарогай, так бліжэй.
Let's take the field road; it's shorter that way.
Word by Word: Let's-drive field road-INSTR, so nearer.
- Лодка павольна плыла ракой.
The boat sailed slowly along the river.
Word by Word: Boat slowly sailed river-INSTR.
- Ён вяртаўся іншай дарогай.
He came back by a different road.
Word by Word: He was-returning other road-INSTR.
- Хадзем берагам, там прыгажэй.
Let's walk along the shore; it's prettier there.
Word by Word: Let's-go shore-INSTR, there prettier.
- Турысты плылі ў Гданьск морам.
The tourists travelled to Gdańsk by sea.
Word by Word: Tourists sailed to Gdańsk sea-INSTR.
Common Mistakes
Using the Russian-style dative after па.
Мы ішлі па лесу.Мы ішлі па лесе.In Belarusian, па meaning around or along takes the locative: па лесе, па вуліцы. To name the route itself, you can also say Мы ішлі лесам.
Leaving the route noun in the nominative or accusative.
Паедзем гэтая дарога.Паедзем гэтай дарогай.Without a preposition, the route must be in the instrumental: гэтай дарогай.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Route needs the instrumental.
Related Patterns
- па + LocativeAround and Along with Па
Па with the locative describes moving around inside an area rather than the route taken.
Level 3 - празThrough, In and Because of with Праз
Праз with the accusative means across or through to the other side.
Level 3 - Instrumental of Comparison
Another literary use of the bare instrumental: comparison.
Level 6 - ісці / хадзіцьMotion on Foot: Ісці and Хадзіць
The motion verbs that most often take a route in the instrumental.
Level 2 - Instrumental Singular Endings
The endings used for route nouns: лесам, дарогай, ракой.
Level 2
Practice Instrumental of Route in Bubblegum
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