Belarusian/Lesson 12
The initial ў
The initial у letter is replaced by the ў if it is preceded by a word with a final vowel.
уро́к a lesson
ця́жкi ўро́к a difficult lesson
This rule does not apply to proper names.
старажы́тная Украіна ancient Ukraine
NOTE: In tarashkievitsa, ў is used in such cases (старажытная Ўкраіна).
(However, note that when an ajective or other word is formed from a proper name, if it starts with a small letter in Belarusian, it's still written with ў: гасці́нныя ўкраі́нцы hospitable Ukrainians).
This is also not applied when the preceding word is separated with a dot, a comma or other punctuation sign.
Сусе́дзi Белару́сi - Расiя, Украiна, По́льшча, Лiтва́ i Ла́твiя. The neighbours of Belarus are Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
у after vowels
It is not normal for Belarusian that у be preceeded by a vowel. It is usually replaced by ў in such a position. However, there is a number of words in which у after vowels makes a syllable and thus is not replaced by ў. They are all borrowings, most of them having the us or um ending characteristic to Latin.
ра́дыус a radius
Сiрыус Sirius
Іу́да Judah (the betrayer of Christ)
European borrowings having au or ou diphthongs also have vowel+у combinations.
шо́у a show
аудыто́рыя a lecture hall
A number of such words (earlier borrowings), however, use ў rather than у.
а́ўтар an author
Noun Declension Groups
Belarusian nouns are classified into three groups according to endings they get in declension.
The first declension consists of feminine and masculine nouns ending with а or я.
The second declension is made by neuter nouns and masculine nouns ending with a consonant (having a "zero ending").
The third declension, much less numerous, consists of feminine nouns with zero ending.
Plural Noun Genitive
First Declension
Most first declension nouns have a zero ending in plural Genitive.
рака́ a river - рэк of rivers
каро́ва a cow - каро́ў of cows
скры́ня a box - скры́нь of boxes
саба́ка a dog - саба́к of dogs
Nouns ending with a consonant + ка obtain а before к in plural Genitive (or е if the first consonant is soft).
пту́шка a cat - пту́шак of cats
ка́зка a tale - ка́зак of tails
ля́лька a doll - ля́лек of dolls
дзя́дзька an uncle - дзя́дзек of uncles
Nouns ending with a consonant + consonant + а, when the second consonant is not к, have оў (аў when unstressed) ending in plural Genitive.
царква́ a church - цэ́ркваў of churches
Second Declension
Second declension nouns usually have оў (аў when unstessed) for hard basis and ёў (яў when unstressed) for soft basis.
лес a forest - лясо́ў of forests
конь a horse - канёў of horses
го́рад a town - гарадо́ў of towns
вакно́ a window - во́кнаў of windows
по́ле a field - палёў of fields
Third Declension
Third declension nouns usually have эй (ей for soft basis) ending in plural Genitive.
мыш a mouse - мышэ́й of mice
гусь a goose - гусе́й of geese
Some third declension nouns, however, have оў (аў) or ёў (яў) ending in plural Genitive.
рэч a thing - рэ́чаў of things
The Numbers (1 to 10)
Here are the Belarusian numbers from one to ten.
адзiн one
два two
тры three
чаты́ры four
пяць five
шэсць six
сем seven
во́сем eight
дзе́вяць nine
дзе́сяць ten
The word адзiн is deflected by gender and number.
адзiн го́рад one town
адно́ вакно́ one window
адна́ ву́лiца one street
адны́ дзве́ры one door
The plural form адны is used with nouns that have no singular form and are used in plural even when denoting a single object. It also can be used when адзiн means alone or only.
Я тут адзiн. I am here alone.
Мы тут адны́. We are here alone.
Яны́ адны́ до́бра пла́ваюць. = То́лькi яны́ до́бра пла́ваюць. Only they swim well.
The word два has a feminine form дзве.
All other numbers do not deflect.
With адзiн the nouns are used in the Nominative.
With два, тры and чаты́ры the nouns are used in plural Nominative.
With other numbers the nouns are used in plural Genitive.
адзiн год one year - два гады́ two yearts - тры гады́ three years - пяць гадо́ў five years
адно́ ко́ла one wheel - два ко́лы two wheels - чаты́ры ко́лы four wheels - шэсць ко́лаў six wheels
адна́ мыш one mouse - дзве мы́шы two mice - тры мы́шы three mice - пяць мышэ́й five mice
адна́ рака́ one river - дзве ракi two rivers - тры ракi - three rivers - пяць рэк five rivers
Note carefully the last example. The ending of the noun is not shifted as it usually is with feminine nouns having stressed endings.
The question word to ask about quantity is ко́лькi.
Ко́лькi тут паве́рхаў? - Тут адзiн паве́рх. How many floors are here? - There is one floor here.
Ко́лькi там гусе́й? - Там чаты́ры гу́сi. How many geese are there? - There are four geese there.
Exersizes
The Numbers
Use these words with the numbers given in parentheses.
(1) (one, two, seven) book(s)
(2) (one, three, five) mirror(s)
(3) (one, two, four, six) goat(s)
(4) (one, three, eight, ten) oak(s)
(5) (one, two, three, seven) village(s)
(6) (one, two, three, nine) land(s)
Clue: (1) адна кнiга; дзве кнiгi; сем кнiг (2) адно люстра; тры люстры; пяць люстраў (3) адна каза; дзве казы; чатыры казы; шэсць коз (4) адзiн дуб; тры дубы; восем дубоў; дзесяць дубоў (5) адна вёска; дзве вёскi; тры вёскi; сем вёсак (6) адна зямля; дзве зямлi; тры зямлi; дзевяць земляў.
Translation
Translate into Belarusian.
(1) There are six wolves here.
(2) How many students are unwell? Three students are unwell.
(3) How many trees are there? There are seven trees there.
(4) How many jars of honey are here? There are two jars of honey here.
(5) How many students paint well? Only she paints well.
(6) Are we here alone? No, two women are here.
Clue: (1) Тут шэсць ваўкоў. (2) Колькi студэнтаў хварэюць? Тры [студэнты хварэюць]. (3) Колькi там дрэваў? Там сем дрэваў. (4) Колькi тут слоiкаў мёду? Тут два слоiкi мёду. (5) Колькi студэнтаў добра малююць? Яна адна добра малюе. (6) Мы тут адны? Не, тут дзве жанчыны.