з + Instrumental

With: З and the Instrumental

Level 2Sounds Like z + tvorny sumesnascí

з + instrumental = together with: з сябрам (with a friend), з мамай (with Mom), кава з малаком (coffee with milk).

How It Works

Company and additions.

  • People: Я іду ў кіно з сябрам (I am going to the cinema with a friend), Яна жыве з бацькамі (She lives with her parents).
  • Things that go together: кава з малаком (coffee with milk), хлеб з маслам (bread and butter).
  • Manner: з задавальненнем (with pleasure), з радасцю (gladly).

The endings (see instrumental singular endings): сябар → з сябрам, малако → з малаком, мама → з мамай, сястра → з сястрой. Pronouns: са мной, з табой, з ім, з ёй, з намі, з вамі, з імі.

"Mom and I". Мы з мамай means "Mom and I", not "we with Mom": Мы з мамай гатуем вячэру (Mom and I are cooking dinner). In the same way, мы з табой means "you and I".

З or са? Before some consonant clusters and before мной, з becomes са: са мной (with me). See з and са.

Same preposition, different case. With the genitive, з means "from": з Мінска (from Minsk) (see з + genitive). For a tool, use the instrumental without з: пісаць ручкай (see instrumental of means).

Examples (6)

  1. Я іду ў кіно з сябрам.

    I am going to the cinema with a friend.

    Word by Word: I go to cinema with friend.

    сябар → сябрам.

  2. Мы з мамай гатуем вячэру.

    Mom and I are cooking dinner.

    Word by Word: We with Mom cook dinner.

    мы з мамай = Mom and I.

  3. Кава з малаком, калі ласка.

    Coffee with milk, please.

    Word by Word: Coffee with milk, please.

    малако → малаком.

  4. Пойдзеш са мной?

    Will you come with me?

    Word by Word: Will-go with me?

    Before мной, з becomes са.

  5. Яна жыве з бацькамі.

    She lives with her parents.

    Word by Word: She lives with parents.

    бацькамі is the instrumental plural.

  6. Ён размаўляе з настаўнікам.

    He is talking with the teacher.

    Word by Word: He talks with teacher.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the genitive after з meaning "with".

    Я іду ў кіно з сябра.
    Я іду ў кіно з сябрам.

    З + genitive means "from". For "together with", the noun takes the instrumental: сябрам.

  • Leaving the noun in the nominative.

    Кава з малако.
    Кава з малаком.

    After з meaning "with", the noun must change to the instrumental: малако → малаком.

  • Using з instead of са before мной.

    Пойдзеш з мной?
    Пойдзеш са мной?

    Before мной the preposition takes the form са.

How It Connects

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

з + InstrumentalLevel 2With: З and the Instrumental

Learn This First

With з uses the instrumental.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

з