Introduction
<< Chapter 23:  The Genitive Case
Chapter 25:  The Instrumental Case >>

Chapter 24

The Dative Case

24.1        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.

Вы даяце прыклад усім нашым калгаснікам.
 You give an example to all our workers.
Мне трэба выйсці.
 I have to leave.
Адставаць жа нельга нам!
 We must not become separated!
Не дваццаць табе летаў!
 You are not even twenty years old!

   
24.2        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.

Я даў дзецям па яблыку.
 I gave the children one apple apiece.
Паляўнічы ідзе па слядах звера.
 The hunter went along the animal's tracks.
Спаборніцтвы па футболу.
 Soccer competition.
Не прыехаў па хваробе.
 He did not come because he was sick.
Таварыш па універсітэту.
 A friend from college.

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

[used to indicate
movement towards]


Травы цягнуліся к сонцу.
 The plants strained towards the sun.
for


Спякла пірог к святу.
 She baked a pie for the holiday.
just before


Прышоў на сход к дзвюм гадзінам.
 I came to the meeting just before two o'clock.


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Copyright (c)  2004  Christian Cardell Marchant.
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