Chapter 22: The Accusative Case

	Introduction
<< Chapter 21: The Nominative Case		Chapter 23: The Genitive Case >>

Chapter 22

The Accusative Case

22.1 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.

Скажы мне, ты запраўды мяне кахаеш?	Tell me, do you really love me?
Я жыў з імі месяц.	I lived with them for a month.

22.2 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	against
		Лодка стукнулася аб бераг.	The boat bumped against the shore.

з	about
		Прайшоў з кіламетр.	I walked about a kilometer.

за	behind
		Ён пайшоў за хату.	He went behind the house.
	at
		Саджуся за стол.	I sit down at the table.
	after
		Гаварылі далёка за поўнач.	They talked well past midnight.
	[not translated, expresses distance]
		Жыве за 40 кіламетраў за горада.	He lives 40 kilometers from the city.
	in
		Гэта можна зрабіць за два дні.	This can get done in two days.

на	on
		Паставіць яго на стол.	He will put it on the table.
	to
		Ідзём на Магілёў.	We're going to Mohilyou.
	[not translated, similar to 'per']
		Два разы на тыдзень.	Twice a week.
	by
		Дыван тры на шэсць метраў.	The carpet is three by six meters.

па	up to
		Стаіць у вадзе па пояс.	He stands in water up to his waist.
	for
		Пайдзі пад студню па ваду.	Go to the well for water.
	to
		Людзі ішлі па той бок.	People were walking along that side.

пад	under
		Схаваў яго пад падушку.	He hid it under the pillow.
	about
		Гадоў пад сорак.	About forty years.
	to
		Пайдзі пад студню па ваду.	Go to the well for water.

паўз	by
		Праязджалі паўз лес.	We drove by the forest.

пра	about
		Мы гаварылі пра яго.	We were talking about him.

праз	through
		Прайсці праз натоўп.	To pass through a crowd.
	after
		Прыйшло праз дзве гадзіны.	It arrived after two weeks.
	because of
		Праз гэта я многае страціў.	I suffered a lot because of this.

скрозь	through [implying difficulty]
		Промні прабіваліся скрозь галіны.	Sunbeams broke through the branches.

цераз	across
		Пераступіць цераз парог.	To step across the threshold.
	through
		Дождж ішоў цераз поўнач.	It rained right through midnight.

у	to
		Дзеці ходзяць ў школу.	The children go to school.
	in
		Запісаў гэта ў сшытак.	He wrote it down in his notebook.
	into
		Яны ўвайшлі ў лес.	They walked into the forest.
	on
		Стукаць у дзверы.	To knock on the door.
	at
		Страляць у праціўніка.	To shoot at the enemy.
	up to
		Намяло снегу ў пояс.	Snow drifted up to waist height.
	[not translated, similar to 'per']
		Адзін раз у год.	Once a year.
	on
		Не працую ў выхадныя.	I don't work on weekends.
	[used to denote multiplication]
		Два ў тры — шэсць.	Two times three is six.

<< Chapter 21: The Nominative Case		Chapter 23: The Genitive Case >>
	Introduction

Copyright (c) 2004 Christian Cardell Marchant.
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