Belarusian Noun Cases Guide
In the Belarusian language, nouns change their form depending on their role in the sentence. These different forms are called cases. Each case tells us something special about the noun, like who is doing an action or who is receiving it.
The Six Cases in Belarusian
Important Points
- Nominative Case
- Genitive Case
- Dative Case
- Accusative Case
- Instrumental Case
- Prepositional Case
The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence. It tells us who or what is doing the action.
Examples
- Кот спіць. (The cat is sleeping.)
- Сабака бяжыць. (The dog is running.)
The genitive case shows possession or that something belongs to someone. It often answers the question 'Whose?'
Examples
- Гэта дом брата. (This is brother's house.)
- Кніга сястры. (Sister's book.)
The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence. It answers the question 'To whom?' or 'For whom?'
Examples
- Я даю цукерку дзіцяці. (I give a candy to the child.)
- Мы дапамаглі сябру. (We helped a friend.)
The accusative case is used for the direct object of a sentence. It tells us what is directly receiving the action.
Examples
- Я бачу сабаку. (I see the dog.)
- Мы купілі яблык. (We bought an apple.)
The instrumental case is used to show the means or instrument by which an action is performed. It answers the question 'With what?'
Examples
- Я пішу ручкай. (I write with a pen.)
- Мы малюем фарбамі. (We paint with colors.)
The prepositional case is used after certain prepositions to indicate location or about what something is. It often answers the question 'About what?' or 'Where?'
Examples
- Мы гаворым пра школе. (We talk about the school.)
- Кніга на стале. (The book is on the table.)