4. Syntax: The Use of Cases

4.1 Use of the nominative case

This case is taken by the subject of the sentence. If the verb of the sentence is ёсць, or if there is no verb, then the object of the sentence also takes the nominative case.

Белару́сь — прыго́жы кут. Belarus is a beautiful land.* td>але́ ён дурны́, а я разу́мны. But he is foolish, and I am wise.*

The direct objects of verbs such as зваць, to call, and its derivatives, often take the nominative case.

Яго́ заву́ць Са́ша. His name is Sasha*

The direct object of the verbs быць, to be, and стаць, to become, can take the nominative case if the direct object is an adjective that is being used as a predicate.

Яна́ ста́ла цяпе́р жва́вая. She’s now become lively.* td>Ра́на ці по́зна бу́дуць назва́ныя злачы́нцамі і пракла́тыя. Sooner or later, they will be labeled criminals and damned.*

4.2 Use of the accusative case

The direct object of most verbs usually takes the accusative case. Certain prepositions are followed by nouns in the accusative case, often when motion is implied. a period of time placed in the accusative case, with no preposition preceding it, indicates that an action was carried out over the course of that time.

Скажы́ мне, ты запра́ўды мяне́ каха́еш? Tell me, do you really love me?* td>Я жыў з і́мі ме́сяц. I lived with them for a month.*

Prepositions with the accusative case

The following prepositions can be followed by the accusative case. Often, the meaning of the prefix revolves around a sense of motion. The meaning of each preposition in that context is given.

`аб`	gainst<br /	br />	br />

	br />	`о́дка стукну́лася аб бе́раг`.	he boat bumped against the shore.
	br />	br />	br />

`з`	bout	br />	br />

	br />	`райшо́ў з кіламе́тр`.	walked about a kilometer.
	br />	br />	br />

`за`	ehind	br />	br />

	br />	`н пайшо́ў за ха́ту`.	e went behind the house.
	t	br />	br />

	br />	`аджу́ся за стол`.	sit down at the table.
	fter	br />	br />

	br />	`авары́лі далё́ка за по́ўнач`.	hey talked well past midnight.
	[not translated,	esses distance]	br />
	br />	`ыве́ за` 40 `кіламе́траў за го́рада`.	e lives 40 kilometers from the city.
	n	br />	br />

	br />	`э́та мо́жна зрабі́ць за два дні`.	his can get done in two days.
	br />	br />	br />

`на`	n	br />	br />

	br />	`аста́віць яго́ на стол`.	e will put it on the table.
	o	br />	br />

	br />	`дзё́м на Магілё́ў`.	e’re going to Mohilyou.
	[not translated,	lar to ‘per’]	br />
	br />	`ва разы́ на ты́дзень`.	wice a week.
	y	br />	br />

	br />	`ыван тры на шэсць ме́траў`.	he carpet is three by six meters.
	br />	br />	br />

`па`	p to	br />	br />

	br />	`таі́ць у вадзе́ па по́яс`.	He stands in water up to his waist.*
	or	br />	br />

	br />	`айдзі́ пад сту́дню па ваду́`.	Go to the well for water.*
	to*	br />	br />

	br />	`юдзі ішлі́ па той бок`.	People were walking along that side.*
	br />	br />	br />

`пад`	under*<br /	br />	br />

	br />	`хава́ў яго́ пад паду́шку`.	He hid it under the pillow.*
	about*<br /	br />	br />

	br />	`адо́ў пад со́рак`.	about forty years.*
	to*	br />	br />

	br />	`Пайдзі́ пад сту́дню па ваду́`.	Go to the well for water.
	br />	br />	br />

`паўз`	by*	br />	br />

	br />	`раязджа́лі паўз лес`.	We drove by the forest.*
	br />	br />	br />

`пра`	about*<br /	br />	br />

	br />	`ы гавары́лі пра яго́`.	We were talking about him.*
	br />	br />	br />

`праз`	through*<br	br />	br />

	br />	`райсці́ праз нато́ўп`.	To pass through a crowd.*
	after*<br /	br />	br />

	br />	`рыйшло́ праз дзве гадзі́ны`.	It arrived after two weeks.*
	because of*	br />	br />

	br />	`раз гэ́та я мно́гае стра́ціў`.	I suffered a lot because of this.*
	br />	br />	br />

`скрозь`	‘through’[implying difficulty]		br />
	br />	`ромні прабіва́ліся скрозь галі́ны`.	Sunbeams broke through the branches.*
	br />	br />	br />

`це́раз`	across*<br	br />	br />

	br />	`ераступі́ць це́раз паро́г`.	To step across the threshold.*
	through*<br	br />	br />

	br />	`ождж ішо́ў це́раз по́ўнач`.	It rained right through midnight.*
	br />	br />	br />

`у`	to*	br />	br />

	br />	`зе́ці хо́дзяць ў шко́лу`.	The children go to school.*
	in*	br />	br />

	br />	`апіса́ў гэ́та ў сшы́так`.	He wrote it down in his notebook.*
	into*	br />	br />

	br />	`ны́ ўвайшлі́ ў лес`.	They walked into the forest.*
	on*	br />	br />

	br />	`тука́ць у дзве́ры`.	To knock on the door.*
	at*	br />	br />

	br />	`траля́ць у праці́ўніка`.	To shoot at the enemy.*
	up to*<br /	br />	br />

	br />	`амяло́ сне́гу ў по́яс`.	Snow drifted up to waist height.*
	[not translated,	lar to ‘per’]	br /></td>	‘’	<td>	br />	`адзі́н раз у год`.	‘Once a year.’
	on*	br />	br />

	br />	`е працу́ю ў выхадны́я`.	I don’t work on weekends.*
	[used to denote	iplication]	br />
	br />	`ва ў тры` — `шэсць`.	Two times three is six.*

4.3 Use of the genitive case

This case is used both by certain prepositions and also to express ownership and relationship. Some verbs, like бая́цца, to fear, and хаце́ць, to want, require that the direct object be placed in the genitive case. To negate a sentence, the particle не is placed before the direct object, and the direct object is placed in the genitive case. a lack of something can be expressed by the word няма́, followed by the noun in the genitive plural, or genitive singular if the noun has no plural form.

Раслі́ны бая́цца маро́зу.Plants fear frost.

Я сама́ гэ́тага хаце́ла.I wanted this myself.

Невядо́ма, хто гаспада́р гэ́тагаNoone knows who the owner of this

катэ́джа.cottage is.

Я не ма́ю ча́су.I do not have any time.

Я нічо́га не разуме́ю.I do not understand anything.

Шкада, але і ў мяне нічога няма.It is sad, but I do not have anything either.

Prepositions with the genitive case

The following prepositions can be followed by the genitive case. The meaning of each preposition in that context is given.

ад‘from’

ад сасны́ адлама́лася галі́нка.a branch broke off from the tree.

Схава́ліся ад дажджу́.They hid from the rain.

ад вясны́ да во́сені.From spring to fall.

‘than’

Мацне́й ад гро́му.Stronger than thunder.

акрамяbut

Там ніко́га не былоNo one was there

акрамя́ мяне́.but me.

апрачаbut

Там ніко́га не былоNo one was there

апрача́ мяне́.besides me.

без‘without’

Без усяля́кай прычы́ны.Without any excuse.

вакол‘around’

Вако́л яго́ сабра́ліся лю́дзі.People gathered around him.

воддальfar from

Во́ддаль даро́гі стая́ла вё́ска.Far from the road stood a village.

да‘until’

Яшчэ́ не́калькі дзён да жніва́.It is still a few days until harvest.

‘to’

Дада́ць пяць да трох.add five to three.

Ужо́ да бе́рага падплыва́ў.He had already swam to the bank.

дзеляfor [someone’s benefit]

Зраблю́ гэ́та дзе́ля цябе́.I will do this for you.

для‘for’

Для яго́ гэ́та лё́гкая спра́ва.It is an easy thing for him.

зoff of (opposite of на + accusative)

Прыбра́ў ліст з акна́.He removed the leaf off of thewindow.*

*out of *(opposite of у + accusative)

Вы́йшаў з вады́.He got out of the water.

заме́ст‘instead’

Хо́чаш вады́ заме́ст ча́ю?Do you want water instead of tea?

звышmore than

Набра́ў звыш двух дзеся́ткаў.He gathered more than twenty.

каляnear

Дрэ́ва расце́ каля́ пло́ту.The tree grows near the fence.

‘about’

Каля́ пяці́ гадзі́н.about five o’clock.

ля‘near’

Ён там ля лазьні блізка жыў.He lived there, close near the bath-

house.

між‘among’

Спрэ́чка між ся́браў.an arguement among friends.

паво́длеin accordance with

апрану́тая паво́дле апо́шняйDressed according to the latest

мо́ды.fashions.

памі́ж‘between’

Стая́ць памі́ж двух агне́й.To stand between two fires.

пасляafter

Пасля́ аб’ядна́ння, яныafter the unification, they selected

вы́бралі старэ́йшага.an elder.

Наста́ўніца, яка́я прые́дзеThe teacher, which will come after

пасля́ вучы́лішча.the school.

су́праць‘across’

Ха́та стаі́ць су́праць шко́лы.The house is across from the school.

‘against’

Плысці́ су́праць цячэ́ння.To swim against the current.

Хто «за» і хто «су́праць»?Who is “for” and who is “against”?

Здары́лася су́праць маёй́It happened against my will.

во́лі.

сяро́дin the middle of

Дрэ́ва стаі́ць сяро́д по́ля.a tree stands in the middle of a

field.

у[used to show possession]

Няўжо́ ў іх няма́ саба́кі?Do they really not have a dog?

У яго́ балі́ць галава́.His head hurts.

‘at’

Шыць паліто́ ў краўца́.To have the coat mended at the

tailor’s.

4.4 Use of the dative case

This case is used to signify indirect objects, and is also used by certain prepositions. Very often, words in the dative case can be translated into English as having the word ‘to’ placed before them. There are also certain constructions with predicates that use the dative case.

Prepositions with the dative case

The preposition most commonly used with the dative case is па. There are many different meanings of па + dative, but a few examples are given below. For these usages, the preposition па only takes the dative when the indirect object is singular. If the object is plural, it must take the prepositional case.

The preposition к is also used with the dative case. This preposition is not as common in Belarusan as it is in Russian. Often, the preposition да is used in Belarusan in situations where Russian uses к.

[used to indicatemovement towards] br /> <td> ра́вы цягну́ліся к со́нцу.</td> ‘The plants strained towards the sun.’ <td>for br /></td> <td> пякла́ піро́г к свя́ту. ‘She baked a pie for the holiday.’

just before br />

рышо́ў на сход к дзвюм гадзі́нам. ‘I came to the meeting just before two o’clock.’

4.5 Use of the instrumental case

This case is used by certain prepositions and also to signify that the noun functions as some means for an action. The direct object of some verbs, especially those that translate as to be, also takes this case. a word in the instrumental case can often be translated into English by preceding it with the preposition “with.”

Гало́ўнай іх сі́лай былі *грана́ты.Their main weapon was grenades.*

Мы дава́й пае́дзем маші́най.Let’s take the car.

Ты паві́нна вало́даць гэ́тай мо́вайYou should have such control of this

так, каб чу́лася як удо́маlanguage that you feel at home

між людзе́й, які́яamong people, who speak Belarusan.

па-белару́ску гаво́раць.

Prepositions with the instrumental case

The following prepositions can be followed by the instrumental case. The meaning of each preposition in that context is given.

з‘with’

Я пайшо́ў з і́мі.I went with them.

за‘behind’

Ідзі́ за мно́ю.Walk behind me.

між‘between’

Даро́га ўе́цца між паля́мі.The road winds between fields.

над‘over’

Над ле́сам наві́сла хма́ра.a stormcloud hung over the forest.

‘exceeding’

Маро́з над усі́мі мараза́мі.a frost exceeding all frosts.

пад‘beneath’

Жыта́ зало́ціцца пад со́нцам.The rye ripened beneath the sun.

‘under’

Быць пад стро́гай ахо́вай.To be under heavy guard.

памі́ж‘between’

Памі́ж не́бам і зямлё́ю.Between heaven and earth.

пе́радin front of

Не адступа́ць пе́радDo not retreat in the face of

ця́жкасцямі.difficulty.

‘before’

Пе́рад тым, трэ́ба паду́маць.Before that, one must think.

compared to

Яны́ нішто́ пе́рад ім.They are nothing compared to him.

4.6 Use of the prepositional case

This case is only used when following prepositions, hence the name. The following prepositions can be followed by the prepositional case. The meaning of each preposition in that context is given.

`аб`	about*<br /	br />	br />

	br />	`авары́лі аб усі́м`.	We spoke of everything.*
	br />	br />	br />

`на`	on*	br />	br />

	br />	`ні́га ляжы́ць на стале́`.	he book lies on the table.
	in*	br />	br />

	br />	`а вайне́ куды́ бо́лей патрэ́бна така́я вось ду́жасць`.	In war, such strength is needed much more.*
	br />	br />	br />

`па`	movement al	br />	br />

	br />	́`хаць на саня́х па лё́дзе`.	To ride a sleigh over the ice.*
	among*<br /	br />	br />

	br />	`у́ткі хадзі́лі па вё́сках`.	The rumors circulated among the villages.*
	after*<br /	br />	br />

	br />	`а абе́дзе`.	after dinner.*

For the usages of па given below, the prepositional case can only be used if the object is plural. If it is singular, the dative case must be used, see 24.2 for examples.


`Пайшлі́ па яго́ных сляда́х`.	They followed in his steps.
`Снабо́рніцтва па лы́жах`.	Skiing competition.

`пры`	near*	br />	br />

	br />	`н быў пры сме́рці`.	He was near death.*
	with*	br />	br />

	br />	`заста́ўся пры сваё́й ду́мцы`.	I was left with my opinion.*
	br />	br />	br />

`у`	in*	br />	br />

	br />	`таі́ць у пако́і`.	He is standing in the room.*