Belarusian grammar

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The grammar of the Belarusian language is mostly synthetic and partly analytic, and norms of the modern language were adopted in 1959. Belarusian orthography is mainly based on the Belarusian folk dialects of the Minsk-Vilnius region, such as they were at the beginning of the 20th century. Initially, Belarusian grammar was formalised by notable Belarusian linguist Branislaw Tarashkyevich and first printed in Vil'nya (1918). Historically, there had existed several other alternative Belarusian grammars.

Contents

See also: Belarusian alphabet, Belarusian phonology, History of the Belarusian language.

Features

Grammatical system

The main means of representation of the grammatical meanings in the Belarusian language are:

Methods of analytical construction are also present. E.g., the word "лесам", which is the instrumental of "лес" — forest, may grammatically mean:

Nouns

There are six cases in Belarusian:

Historically, there also existed a vocative case (Belarusian : клічны, BGN/PCGN: klichny), but it is used only sparingly in modern Belarusian, like Slovene, Slovak and the closely related Russian, generally in literature, and usually is not mentioned in textbooks.

For nouns (Belarusian : назоўнікі, BGN/PCGN: nazowniki) there are several types of declension:

Caseпеч SGпе́чы PLкосць SGко́сці PLкроў SG
Nominativeпечпе́чыкосцько́сцікроў
Genitiveпе́чыпячэ́йко́сцікасце́йкрыві́
Dativeпе́чыпе́чамко́сцікасця́мкрыві́
Accusativeпечпе́чыкосцько́сцікроў
Instrumentalпе́ччупе́чаміко́сцюкасця́мікрывёй
Locativeпе́чыпе́чахко́сцікасця́хкрыві́

Pronouns

There are eight types of pronouns (Belarusian : займеннікі, BGN/PCGN: zaymyenniki) in Belarusian:

SingularPluralReflexive (зваротны)
1st2nd3rd1st2nd3rd
Masc.Fem.Neut.
(English)Iyouhesheitweyouthey___self
Nominativeятыёняна́яно́мывыяны́
Genitiveмяне́цябе́яго́яе́яго́насвасіхсябе́
Dativeмнетабе́яму́ёйяму́намвамімсабе́
Accusativeмяне́цябе́яго́яе́яго́насвасіхсябе́
Instrumentalмной
(мно́ю)
табо́й
(табо́ю)
імёюімна́міва́міі́місабо́й
(сабо́ю)
Prepositionalаба мнеаб табе́аб імаб ёйаб імаб наcаб васаб іхаб сабе́
хто ('who') and што ('what')
хтошто
Nominativeхтошто
Genitiveкаго́чаго́
Dativeкаму́чаму́
Accusativeкаго́што
Instrumentalкімчым
Prepositionalаб кімаб чым

які (which), каторы (which), чый (whose), колькі (how much)

гэты ('this') and той ('that')
Masc.Neut.Fem.Plur.Masc.Neut.Fem.Plur.
Nominativeгэ́тыгэ́тагэ́таягэ́тыятойто́ета́яты́я
Genitiveгэ́тагагэ́тагагэ́тай
(гэ́тае)
гэ́тыхтага́таго́тойтых
Dativeгэ́тамугэ́тамугэ́тайгэ́тымтаму́таму́тойтым
AccusativeN or Gгэ́тагэ́туюN or GN or Gто́ету́юN or G
Instrumentalгэ́тымгэ́тымгэ́тайгэ́тымітымтымтоюты́мі
Prepositionalаб гэ́тымаб гэ́тымаб гэ́тайаб гэ́тыхаб тымаб тымаб тойаб тых

той (that); такі, гэтакі (such, of this kind); столькі, гэтулькі (that much)

мой (my, mine)
твой (your, yours) for a singular possessor
свой (my, mine, your, yours, one's, his, her, its, our, ours, your, yours, their) for a subject possessor
Masc.Neut.Fem.Plur.Masc.Neut.Fem.Plur.Masc.Neut.Fem.Plur.
Nominativeмоймаёмая́мае́твойтваётвая́твае́свойсваёсвая́свае́
Genitiveмайго́майго́маёймаі́хтвайго́твайго́тваёйтваі́хсвайго́свайго́сваёйсваі́х
Dativeмайму́майму́маёймаі́мтвайму́твайму́тваёйтваі́мсвайму́свайму́сваёйсваі́м
AccusativeN or Gмаёмаю́N or GN or Gтваётваю́N or GN or Gсваёсваю́N or G
Instrumentalмаі́ммаі́ммаёймаі́мітваі́мтваі́мтваёйтваі́місваі́мсваі́мсваёйсваі́мі
Prepositionalаб маі́маб маі́маб маёйаб маі́хаб тваі́маб тваімаб тваёйаб тваі́хаб сваі́маб сваі́маб сваёйаб сваі́х
наш (our, ours)
ваш (your, yours) for a plural possessor
Masc.Neut.Fem.Plur.Masc.Neut.Fem.Plur.
Nominativeнашна́шана́шана́шывашва́шава́шава́шы
Genitiveна́шагана́шагана́шай
(на́шае)
на́шыхва́шагава́шагава́шай
(ва́шае)
ва́шых
Dativeна́шамуна́шамуна́шайна́шымва́шамува́шамува́шайва́шым
AccusativeN or Gна́шана́шуN or GN or Gва́шева́шуN or G
Instrumentalна́шымна́шымна́шайна́шыміва́шымва́шымва́шайва́шымі
Prepositionalаб на́шымаб на́шымаб на́шайаб на́шыхаб ва́шымаб ва́шымаб ва́шайаб ва́шых
ягоны/яго (his)
ейны/яе (her, hers)
іхны/іх (their, theirs)
Masc.Neut.Fem.Plur.Masc.Neut.Fem.Plur.Masc.Neut.Fem.Plur.
Nominativeяго́ныяго́наеяго́наяяго́ныяе́йные́йнаее́йнаяе́йныяі́хніі́хняеі́хняяі́хнія
Genitiveяго́нагаяго́нагаяго́най
(яго́нае)
яго́ныхе́йнагае́йнагае́йнай
(е́йнае)
е́йныхі́хнягаі́хнягаі́хняй
(і́хняе)
і́хніх
Dativeяго́намуяго́намуяго́найяго́ныме́йнамуе́йнамуе́йнайе́йны́мі́хнямуі́хнямуі́хняйі́хнім
AccusativeN or Gяго́наеяго́нуюN or GN or Gе́йнаее́йнуюN or GN or Gі́хняеі́хнююN or G
Instrumentalяго́нымяго́нымяго́найяго́ныміе́йныме́йны́ме́йнайе́йныміі́хнімі́хнімі́хняйі́хнімі
Prepositionalаб яго́нымаб яго́нымаб яго́найаб яго́ныхаб е́йнымаб е́йнымаб е́йнайаб е́йныхаб і́хнімаб і́хнімаб і́хняйаб і́хніх

Note: proper names and places' names are rendered in BGN/PCGN

Sources

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