з + Genitive

From with З and the Genitive

Level 1Sounds Like z + rodny pahodžannâ

To say where you are from, use з + the genitive: Я з Мінска. Яна з Польшчы.

How It Works

Saying where you are from. Адкуль вы? — Я з Беларусі. (Where are you from? I am from Belarus.) See адкуль.

  • Masculine and neuter nouns take -а/-я: Мінск → з Мінска, Брэст → з Брэста, Гомель → з Гомеля, Гродна → з Гродна
  • Feminine nouns take -ы after a hard consonant and -і after a soft one or г, к, х: Польшча → з Польшчы, Літва → з Літвы, Беларусь → з Беларусі, Італія → з Італіі, Амерыка → з Амерыкі

Some masculine nouns take -у, as in з дому (from home). See genitive singular endings.

Coming out of a place. З also means from or out of a place: Ён ідзе з працы. (He is coming from work.) It is the way back for places that take у and for places that take на: у Мінску → з Мінска, на працы → з працы. See where, where to, where from.

Spelling: з and са. The preposition is always written з, even where it sounds like [s]: з Полацка. Before a consonant cluster that starts with с, з, ш or ж, it becomes са: са школы, са Смаленска. See з and са.

З or ад? Use з for the place something comes out of, and ад for a person or a starting point: ліст з Мінска (a letter from Minsk), but ліст ад мамы (a letter from Mom). See ад + genitive.

Another з. With the instrumental, з means "with": кава з малаком (coffee with milk). The case tells you which meaning you have. See з + instrumental.

Examples (6)

  1. Адкуль ты? — Я з Мінска.

    Where are you from? — I am from Minsk.

    Word by Word: Where-from you? — I from Minsk.

    Мінск → з Мінска: masculine nouns take -а.

  2. Мая сяброўка з Польшчы.

    My friend is from Poland.

    Word by Word: My friend from Poland.

    Польшча → з Польшчы: after hard ч the ending is -ы.

  3. Мы з Беларусі.

    We are from Belarus.

    Word by Word: We from Belarus.

    Беларусь → з Беларусі: after a soft consonant the ending is -і.

  4. Бацька вяртаецца з працы.

    Dad is coming back from work.

    Word by Word: Father returns from work.

    На працы (at work) → з працы (from work).

  5. Дзеці ідуць са школы.

    The children are coming from school.

    Word by Word: Children go from school.

    У школе (at school) → са школы. Са is used before the cluster шк.

  6. Гэта ліст з дому.

    This is a letter from home.

    Word by Word: This letter from home.

    Дом takes -у here: з дому.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the dictionary form after з.

    Я з Мінск.
    Я з Мінска.

    З meaning "from" needs the genitive: Мінск → з Мінска.

  • Writing с, as in Russian.

    Я с Полацка.
    Я з Полацка.

    The Belarusian preposition is always written з, even when it sounds like [s].

  • Using ад to say where you are from.

    Я ад Мінска.
    Я з Мінска.

    Ад is for a person or a starting point, not for your hometown. Use з for where you come from.

How It Connects

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з + GenitiveLevel 1From with З and the Genitive

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From with з needs cases and адкуль.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

задкуль