у + Person in the Genitive
At Someone's Place with У
To say you are at someone's place, use у + the genitive of the person: Я ў бабулі (I am at grandma's), Дзеці ў суседзяў (The children are at the neighbors').
How It Works
At someone's home or workplace. Я ў бабулі (I am at grandma's), Сёння я начую ў сябра (Tonight I am sleeping over at my friend's), Заўтра я ў доктара (Tomorrow I am at the doctor's).
Person or place? Compare у брата (genitive: at my brother's) with у + locative for places: у доме (in the house). For a person you need the genitive.
One family of phrases. The same у + genitive gives у мяне ёсць (I have), у мяне няма (I do not have) and у нас у Беларусі (here in Belarus, literally "at us in Belarus").
To, at, from. With people, three prepositions and one case cover the whole trip: да сябра (to my friend's), у сябра (at my friend's), ад сябра (from my friend's).
У or ў? After a vowel the preposition is written ў: Я ў бабулі, but Брат у бабулі.
Examples (6)
- Я ў бабулі.
I am at grandma's.
Бабуля → бабулі, the genitive.
- Сёння я начую ў сябра.
Tonight I am sleeping over at my friend's.
Сябар → сябра.
- Заўтра я ў доктара.
Tomorrow I am at the doctor's.
Доктар → доктара.
- Дзеці зараз у суседзяў.
The children are at the neighbors' now.
Суседзі → суседзяў, the genitive plural.
- Я жыву ў брата.
I am living at my brother's.
Брат → брата.
- У нас у Беларусі шмат азёр.
We have many lakes here in Belarus.
Word by Word: At us in Belarus many lakes.
У нас uses the same у + genitive.
Common Mistakes
Using the locative for a person.
Я жыву ў браце.Я жыву ў брата.У + locative is for places; у браце would mean "inside my brother". For a person's home, use the genitive: у брата.
Keeping the nominative after у.
Я ў бабуля.Я ў бабулі.У with a person needs the genitive: бабуля → бабулі.
How It Connects
Learn This First
At someone's place extends у мяне ёсць.
Related Patterns
- у мяне нямаNot Having with Няма
The negative of having also uses у + genitive.
Level 1 - да + GenitiveGoing to with Да and the Genitive
Going to a person's place: да бабулі.
Level 2 - ад + GenitiveFrom with Ад and the Genitive
Coming from a person's place: ад бабулі.
Level 2 - у + LocativeLocation with У and the Locative
For places, "in" uses у with the locative instead.
Level 1 - у / ў after a VowelУ Becomes Ў After a Vowel
Explains when the preposition is written ў.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice у + Person in the Genitive in Bubblegum
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