Belarusian Grammar

Welcome to the 8th lesson about Belarusian grammar. We will first learn about prepositions, negation, questions, adverbs, and pronouns including: personal, object and possessive pronouns. To hear the pronunciation, just click on the sound icon.

We will start with prepositions. In general, they are used to link words to other words. For example: I speak Belarusian and English the preposition is [and] because it connects both words Belarusian and English. The following is a list of the most used prepositions in Belarusian.

Prepositions - Belarusian - Pronunciation
and і; ды [і; di]
above вышэй [vishey]
under пад [pad]
before раней [ranyey]
after пасля [paslya]
in front of спераду [spyeradoo]
behind ззаду [zzadoo]
far from далёка ад [dalyoka ad]
near каля [kalya]
in у [oo]
inside унутры [oonootri]
outside знадворку [znadvorkoo]
with з [z]
without без [byez]
about аб [ab]
between паміж [pamіʐ]
but але [alye]
for на працягу [na pratzyaguoo]
from ад [ad]
to у [oo]

Preposition Grammar Rules

The following examples use prepositions in different ways and places to demonstrate how they behave in a sentence.

Prepositions + Rules - Belarusian + Pronunciation
I eat without a knife [preposition + noun] я ем без нажа [ya yem byez naʐa]
she lives near the church [verb + preposition] яна жыве побач з царквой/ля паблізу царквы [yana ʐivye pobach z tzarkvoy/lya pablіzoo tzarkvi]
he is taller than her [adjective + preposition] ён вышэйшы за яе [yon visheyshi za yaye]
he came with his small dog [preposition + pronoun] ён прыйшоў са сваім маленькім сабачкам [yon priyshow sa svaіm malyenʲkіm sabachkam]
can you come with me? [preposition + pronoun] вы можаце пайсці са мной? [vi moʐatzye paystzі sa mnoy?]

Negation in Belarusian

Now let's learn how to make a negative sentence (negation). For example: Saying no, I can't, I don't ... The following examples use negation in different ways and places to demonstrate how they behave in a sentence.

Negation + Rules - Belarusian + Pronunciation
I understand you [affirmative form] я вас разумею [ya vas razoomyeyo]
I don't understand you [negation + verb] я вас не разумею [ya vas nye razoomyeyo]
this is not the correct word [negation + adjective] гэта неправільнае слова [gueta nyepravіlʲnaye slova]
don't leave me [imperative negation] не пакідай мяне [nye pakіday myanye]
no problem [negation + noun] няма праблем [nyama prablyem]

Negative Sentences - Belarusian + Pronunciation
I don't speak French [negation + present tense] я не размаўляю па-французску [ya nye razmawlyayo pa-frantzoozskoo]
she didn't visit Germany [negation + past tense] яна не наведвала нямеччыну [yana nye navyedvala nyamyechchinoo]
he cannot see us [negative modal verb] ён не можа бачыць нас [yon nye moʐa bachitzʲ nas]
can't she play chess? [interrogative negation] яна не можа гуляць у шахматы? [yana nye moʐa guoolyatzʲ oo shakhmati?]
we will not come late [negation + future tense] мы не прыйдзем позна [mi nye priydzyem pozna]

Questions in Belarusian

Now let's learn how to ask questions (interrogative). Such as: what, why, can you ...? Here are some common examples:

English - Belarusian - Pronunciation
how? якім чынам? [yakіm chinam?]
what? што? [shto?]
who? хто? [khto?]
why? чаму? [chamoo?]
where? дзе? [dzye?]

More of the interrogative form, now in a sentence:

Questions + Rules - Belarusian + Pronunciation
where do you live? [interrogative + verb] дзе ты жывеш? [dzye ti ʐivyesh?]
does she speak Chinese? [interrogative verb] ці яна гаварыць па-кітайску? [tzі yana guavaritzʲ pa-kіtayskoo?]
how much is this? [interrogative preposition] колькі гэта каштуе? [kolʲkі gueta kashtooye?]
can I help you? [interrogative modal verb] (ці) я магу вам дапамагчы? [(tzі) ya maguoo vam dapamaguchi?]
what is your name? [interrogative preposition] як вас завуць? [yak vas zavootzʲ?]

Adverbs in Belarusian

It's time to learn the adverbs in Belarusian. But what is an adverb? In general, adverbs modify verbs and adjectives. For example: You speak fast. The adverb is [fast] because it describes the verb and answers the question how do you speak?. Here is a list of the most common ones:

Adverbs - Belarusian - Pronunciation
now зараз, цяпер [zaraz, tzyapyer]
yesterday учора [oochora]
today сёння [syonnya]
tonight сёння ўвечары [syonnya wvyechari]
tomorrow заўтра [zawtra]
soon хутка [khootka]
quickly хутка [khootka]
slowly павольна [pavolʲna]
together разам [razam]
very вельмі [vyelʲmі]
almost амаль [amalʲ]
always заўсёды [zawsyodi]
usually звычайна [zvichayna]
sometimes часам [chasam]
rarely рэдка [redka]
never ніколі [nіkolі]

The following examples use the adverbs in different ways and places to demonstrate how it behaves in a sentence.

Adverbs + Rules - Belarusian + Pronunciation
do you understand me now? [pronoun + adverb] ці вы разумееце мяне зараз? [tzі vi razoomyeyetzye myanye zaraz?]
I need help immediately [noun + adverb] мне неадкладна патрэбна дапамога [mnye nyeadkladna patrebna dapamogua]
she is very intelligent [adverb + adjective] яна вельмі разумная [yana vyelʲmі razoomnaya]
I will always love you [verb + adverb] я заўсёды буду кахаць/любіць цябе [ya zawsyodi boodoo kakhatzʲ/lyobіtzʲ tzyabye]
can we learn German together? [adverb in a question] (ці) мы можам вывучаць нямецкую мову разам? [(tzі) mi moʐam vivoochatzʲ nyamyetzkooyo movoo razam?]

Pronouns in Belarusian

We're almost done! This time we will learn the pronouns in Belarusian. In general, a pronoun can be used instead of a noun. For example instead of saying my teacher speaks 3 languages, you can use the pronoun he, and say he speaks 3 languages. Here is a list of the most common ones:

Personal Pronouns - Belarusian - Pronunciation
I я [ya]
you ты/вы/вы [ti/vi/vi]
he ён [yon]
she яна [yana]
we мы [mi]
they яны [yani]

Object Pronouns - Belarusian - Pronunciation
me сябе, мне, мяне, я [syabye, mnye, myanye, ya]
you ты/вы/вы [ti/vi/vi]
him яго; яму [yaguo; yamoo]
her яе; ёй [yaye; yoy]
us нас/нам/намі; мы [nas/nam/namі; mi]
them іх/ім/імі [іkh/іm/іmі]

Possessive Pronouns - Belarusian - Pronunciation
my мой/мая/маё; мае [moy/maya/mayo; maye]
your твой/твая/тваё/твае [tvoy/tvaya/tvayo/tvaye]
his яго/ягоны [yaguo/yaguoni]
her яе; ёй [yaye; yoy]
our наш/нашая/нашае [nash/nashaya/nashaye]
their іх/іхні [іkh/іkhnі]

I think it's better to put the above example in a sentence to better assist you. The following examples use pronouns in different ways and places to demonstrate how they behave in a sentence. We will start with the personal pronouns.

Personal Pronouns - Belarusian + Pronunciation
I am your friend [1st pronoun + verb] я твой сябар [ya tvoy syabar]
you speak very fast [2nd pronoun + adverb] вы (ты) размаўляеце(размаўляеш) вельмі хутка [vi (ti) razmawlyayetzye(razmawlyayesh) vyelʲmі khootka]
he has three dogs [3rd pronoun + verb] у яго ёсць тры сабакі [oo yaguo yostzʲ tri sabakі]
she can speak German [3rd pronoun + verb] яна можа гаварыць па-нямецку [yana moʐa guavaritzʲ pa-nyamyetzkoo]
we will not come late [1st plural pronoun] мы не прыйдзе позна [mi nye priydzye pozna]
they bought milk and bread [3rd plural pronoun] яны купілі малако і хлеб [yani koopіlі malako і khlyeb]

The object pronoun is used as a target by a verb, and usually come after that verb. For example: I gave him my book. The object pronoun here is him. Here are more examples:

Object Pronouns - Belarusian + Pronunciation
can you tell me your name? [1st object pronoun] ці вы можаце сказаць мне сваё імя? [tzі vi moʐatzye skazatzʲ mnye svayo іmya?]
I will give you money [2nd object pronoun] я дам вам грошай [ya dam vam guroshay]
she wrote him a letter [3rd object pronoun] яна напісала яму ліст [yana napіsala yamoo lіst]
they visited her yesterday [3rd object pronoun] яны наведалі яе ўчора [yani navyedalі yaye wchora]
can she help us? [1st pl. object pronoun] яна можа нам дапамагчы? [yana moʐa nam dapamaguchi?]
he gave them food [3rd pl. object pronoun] ён даў ім ежу [yon daw іm yeʐoo]

Possessive Pronouns - Belarusian + Pronunciation
my name is Maya [1st possessive pronoun] мяне завуць /маё імя майя [myanye zavootzʲ /mayo іmya mayya]
your brother lives here [2nd possessive pronoun] ваш брат жыве тут [vash brat ʐivye toot]
her mother cooks for us [3rd possessive pronoun] яе маці гатуе для нас [yaye matzі guatooye dlya nas]
his hobby is reading books [3rd possessive pronoun] яго хобі/захапленне чытанне кніг [yaguo khobі/zakhaplyennye chitannye knіgu]
our dream is to visit Paris [1st pl. possessive pronoun] наша мара наведаць у парыжы [nasha mara navyedatzʲ oo pariʐi]
their house is not far [3rd pl. possessive pronoun] іх дом знаходзіцца недалёка [іkh dom znakhodzіtztza nyedalyoka]

One more thing you need to know is the demonstrative pronouns. They're very easy to learn.

Demonstrative Pronouns - Belarusian - Pronunciation
this is my house гэта мой дом [gueta moy dom]
that restaurant is far гэты рэстаран далёка [gueti restaran dalyoka]
these apples are delicious гэтыя яблыкі вельмі смачныя [guetiya yablikі vyelʲmі smachniya]
those stars are shiny тыя зоркі бліскучыя [tiya zorkі blіskoochiya]

I hope you learned a lot about the Belarusian grammar in this lesson. Please check out our main menu here for more lessons: homepage. The next lesson is below, have fun!