Belarusian/Lesson 15

Some Popular Belarusian Names
Here are some names popular with Belarusians.

Men's names.

Women's names.

Verbs in бiць, вiць etc.
Verbs of the second conjugation ending in бiць, вiць, пiць or мiць obtain л letter in the first person singular. This feature is also characteristic to vern ending in б/в/п/м + ець/аць belonging to the second congugation.

Nouns: Accusative
The accusative case is used with nouns, pronouns etc. being direct objects of something. E.g., in a sentence A is doing B, A would be used in the Nominative whereas B would be put in the Accusative.

The table illustrating the rule for nouns Accusative endings is given below.

(*) ча́пля is a heron

As you can conclude from the table, the Accusative case has its own endings only for singular first declension nouns. For other nouns, the endings are "stolen" either from the Genitive or from the Nominative. Note that endings often differ for animate and inanimate nouns. This difference is reflected in question words for the Accusative, which are каго (as in the Genitive) for animate nouns, and што (as in the Nominative) for inanimate things.

'''Што гэ́та? - Гэ́та го́рад.''' What is this? This is town.

'''Хто гэ́та? - Гэ́та конь.''' Who is this? This is a horse.

'''Каго́ ты ба́чыш? - Каня́.''' Whom do you see? [I see] a horse.

'''Што ты ба́чыш? - Го́рад.''' What do you see? [I see] a town.

Like with Countables and Uncountables
When you say "I like X" in Belarusian, you put X into Accusative case. If the X is countable, you put it into plural, otherwise you leave it singular.

люблю́ кве́ткi. I like roses.

люблю́ мёд. I like honey.

люблю́ саба́к. I like dogs.

люблю́ му́зыку. I like music.

In Belarusian, the following groups of nouns are uncountable:


 * friable substances: авёс (oats), гаро́х (peas), фасо́ля (French beans)
 * berries: сунiца (strawberries), малiна (raspberries), вiнагра́д (grapes). BUT the word я́гада (berry) itself is countable
 * most vegetables: бу́льба (potatoes), мо́рква (carrots), капу́ста (cabbages), цыбу́ля (onions)

Countable nouns are used in singular if they are interpreted not as a thing but as a state or as a concept:

люблю́ вясну́. I like spring.

люблю́ лес. I like the forest.

Some nouns can be used both in singular and in plural, depending on their meaning:

люблю́ пту́шку. I like poultry.

люблю́ пту́шак. I like birds.

Likes and Dislikes
Part 1. Say whether you like or dislike the following things using the verb любiць. Be sure to put the objects into the Accusative case.

Sample: Я не люблю кошак. Я люблю сабак.

мыш (mouse)

аўто́бус (bus)

цыбу́ля (onion)

цягнiк (train)

вясна́ (spring)

ле́та (summer)

во́сень (autumn)

зiма́ (winter)

снег (snow)

Джордж Буш (George Bush)

дождж (rain)

каза́ (goat)

я́блык (apple)

конь (horse)

бу́льба uncountable (potato)

Clue: Hе люблю мышэй, аўтобусы, цыбулю, цягнiкi, вясну, лета, восень, зiму, Джорджа Буша, снег, дождж, коз, яблыкi, бульбу

Part 2. Using the chart below, say

a) what Hanna likes

b) what Vasil does not like

c) what both Hanna and Vasil like

Clue: (a) Ганна любiць катоў, лета, капусту, яблыкi, горад, мышэй, ноч (b) Васiль не любiць сабак, лета, дождж, горад, ноч (c) Васiль i Ганна любяць катоў, капусту, яблыкi, мышэй

Translation
Translate into Belarusian.

(1) Do you like summer? No, we don't like summer. we like winter.

(2) Does Vera like travelling? Yes, she likes travelling.

(3) What are they doing? They are sleeping.

(4) What do you see? I see a dog and a bird.

(5) What are you doing? I am feeding the cats.

(6) Do you like swimming? No, I don't like swimming.

(7) Do you like berries? Yes, I like strawberries and raspberries.

(8) Ivan likes potatoes, carrots and apples.

Clue: (1) Вы любiце лета? Не мы не любiм лета, мы любiм зiму. (2) Вера любiць вандраваць? Так, яна любiць вандраваць. (3) Што яны робяць? Яны спяць. (4) Што ты бачыш? Я бачу сабаку i птушку. (5) Што ты робiш? Я кармлю катоў. (6) Ты любiш плаваць? Не, я не люблю плаваць. (7) Ты любiш ягады? Так, я люблю сунiцу i малiну. (8) Іван любiць бульбу, моркву i яблыкi.