Accusative for the Direct Object
The thing you read, see, buy or love is the direct object, and it goes in the accusative: Я чытаю кнігу. It answers каго? (whom?) or што? (what?).
How It Works
Which nouns change?
- Feminine and masculine nouns in -а/-я: -у/-ю. кніга → кнігу, песня → песню, бацька → бацьку. See the -у/-ю accusative.
- Masculine things, neuter nouns and feminine nouns with no ending: no change. фільм, акно, соль. See the unchanged accusative.
- Masculine people and animals: the genitive form. Я бачу брата. (I see my brother.) See the animate accusative.
Plural objects. Things keep the nominative plural: Я чытаю кнігі. People and animals take the genitive plural: Я бачу сяброў.
Pronouns as objects: мяне, цябе, яго, яе, нас, вас, іх. Я цябе люблю. See pronoun case forms.
Not every verb takes the accusative. Some verbs take another case. Дзякаваць (to thank) takes the dative: Дзякую вам, not Дзякую вас (thanking in the dative). After a negated verb, the object is often in the genitive (genitive with negation).
Destinations too. The accusative also follows у and на with movement: Я іду ў школу. See the accusative for destinations.
Examples (6)
- Яна чытае газету.
She is reading a newspaper.
Word by Word: She reads newspaper.
Газета → газету: a noun in -а takes -у.
- Ён п'е каву.
He drinks coffee.
Word by Word: He drinks coffee.
Кава → каву.
- Мы глядзім фільм.
We are watching a film.
Word by Word: We watch film.
Фільм names a thing and is masculine, so it does not change.
- Адчыні акно, калі ласка.
Please open the window.
Word by Word: Open window, please.
Neuter nouns like акно do not change.
- Я бачу сябра.
I see my friend.
Word by Word: I see friend.
Сябар is a person, so the object takes the genitive form сябра.
- Мама гатуе вячэру.
Mom is cooking dinner.
Word by Word: Mom cooks dinner.
Вячэра → вячэру.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the object in the dictionary form.
Я чытаю кніга.Я чытаю кнігу.A direct object in -а changes to -у.
Using the accusative with дзякаваць, as with Russian благодарить.
Дзякую вас.Дзякую вам.Belarusian дзякаваць takes the dative: дзякую вам, дзякую маме.
Leaving a masculine person in the dictionary form.
Я бачу брат.Я бачу брата.Masculine people and animals take the genitive form as objects: брата.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The accusative follows the nominative.
Related Patterns
- Feminine Accusative -у/-юFeminine Accusative -у and -ю
Nouns in -а/-я change to -у/-ю.
Level 1 - Inanimate Accusative Unchanged
Nouns that stay the same as objects.
Level 1 - Animate Accusative
Masculine people and animals take the genitive form.
Level 2 - The Six Cases
The overview of all six cases.
Level 1 - Personal Pronoun Case Forms
Object pronouns like мяне and цябе.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
- вучыцца / вывучацьLearning with Вучыцца and ВывучацьLevel 2
- у / на + AccusativeAccusative for DestinationLevel 2
- пра + AccusativeAbout with ПраLevel 2
- у + Day of the WeekDays of the Week with УLevel 2
- за + AccusativeTime Taken and Reason with ЗаLevel 3
- Comparative + чым / заThan with Чым and ЗаLevel 3
- празThrough, In and Because of with ПразLevel 3
- лічыць + Accusative + InstrumentalConsidering and Calling with the InstrumentalLevel 4
And 3 more in the full list.
Practice Accusative for the Direct Object in Bubblegum
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