з / са

The Preposition Variants З and Са

Level 2Sounds Like z í sa

З becomes са before clusters like шк or ст: са школы (from school), but з братам (with a brother).

How It Works

One preposition, two jobs. Where Russian has both с and из, Belarusian writes only з:

  • with, with the instrumental: з сябрам (with a friend). See з meaning with.
  • from, out of, off, with the genitive: з Мінска (from Minsk). See з meaning from.

When з becomes са. The official spelling rules write са when the next word begins with two or more consonants and the first of them is a hissing or hushing sound (с, з, ш, ж). The extra vowel makes the cluster easier to say:

  • са школы (from school), са стала (off the table), са смеху (from laughing)
  • са сваімі сябрамі (with my friends), са зброяй (with a weapon)

When it stays з. If the word starts with one consonant and a vowel, or with a cluster that begins with another consonant, keep з: з сябрам and з сястрой (с followed by a vowel), з братам, з праўдай, з пляча.

With me. The pronoun form мной begins with a cluster, so it is са мной (also са мною). The form мяне begins with a single consonant, so it stays з мяне (from me, off me).

Sound and spelling. Before a voiceless consonant, з is pronounced [s], as in з табой, but it is always written з.

Examples (6)

  1. Дзеці ідуць са школы.

    The children are walking home from school.

    Word by Word: Children go from school.

  2. Вазьмі кнігу са стала.

    Take the book off the table.

    Word by Word: Take book from table.

  3. Хочаш пайсці ў кіно са мной?

    Do you want to go to the cinema with me?

    Word by Word: Want to-go to cinema with me?

  4. Я сустракаюся з сябрам.

    I am meeting a friend.

    Word by Word: I meet with friend.

    Сябрам starts with с and a vowel, not a cluster, so з stays.

  5. Ён прыехаў са сваёй сястрой.

    He came with his sister.

    Word by Word: He came with his-own sister.

    Сваёй starts with св, so з becomes са.

  6. Мы з Мінска.

    We are from Minsk.

    Word by Word: We from Minsk.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the Russian preposition с.

    Я гуляю с сабакам.
    Я гуляю з сабакам.

    Belarusian never writes с as a preposition. It is always з, even where it sounds like [s].

  • Keeping з before a cluster that needs са.

    Дзеці ідуць з школы.
    Дзеці ідуць са школы.

    Школы starts with шк, and ш is a hushing sound, so з becomes са.

  • Using са before a single consonant followed by a vowel.

    Я іду ў кіно са сябрам.
    Я іду ў кіно з сябрам.

    Сябрам starts with с and a vowel, so there is no cluster to break up.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

з / саLevel 2The Preposition Variants З and Са

Learn This First

З and са follow з + instrumental.

Words in This Pattern

ззса