Introduction
<< Chapter 2:  Noun Declension   
Chapter 4:  Irregular Plurals >>


Chapter 3

Additional Points on Noun Declension
 

3.1        Accusative form of animate nouns

    The accusative form of plural animate nouns is identical the genitive, not the nominative case.  Adjectives describing these nouns take the genitive ending.

Пастух збірае сваіх кароў. The herdsman gathers his cows.
Туды дзяўчат пасылалі. That’s where we sent the girls.
Прасіў у яго, не за сябе, за двух маленькіх дзетак. I asked him, not for myself, but for two little kids.

    The accusative case is identical to the genitive for singular masculine animate nouns as well.  Corresponding adjectives take the genitive ending.

Яна прыдбае новага мужа. She will get a new husband.
Ён перажываў за старэйшага брата.
 He was worried about his older brother.
Паважанага пешахода ігнаруюць і прыгнятаюць пошлыя вадзіцелі. The respected pedestrian is ignored and oppressed by common drivers.


3.2        Masculine genitive singular endings а/я versus у/ю

    There are two groups of masculine nouns.  One of these groups has genitive singular endings of а and я, the other group has genitive singular endings of у, and ю.  There is no easy way to tell to which group any given noun belongs.

    Nouns with the genitive singular endings -а or -я are typically words that can be described in English with the word "many."  These nouns are often concrete, countable objects.

    - Nouns denoting people, animals, and body parts
    - Units of measurement and currency
    - Geographical concepts

брата of the brother малатка of the hammer
грама of the gram пальца of the finger
дня of the day перашыйка of the isthmus
кантынэнта of the continent рубля of the ruble
каня of the horse чалавека of the person

    Nouns with the genitive singular endings -у or -ю are typically words that are used in the partitive sense.  In other words, some portion of a whole is implied.  Typically, such words represent more abstract ideas.  They can usually be described in English with the word "much."  If a word in English cannot have an article like “the” applied to it, it will have the -у or -ю genitive ending in Belarusian.

    - Nouns that denote a group, gathering, or collection of other things
    - Natural phenomena, characteristics, actions, and spatial directions
    - Substances and other nouns that can be described in English by the word "much"

выгляду of the glance роду of the type
дажджу of rain сну of sleep
колеру of color усходу of the east
набору of the collection холаду of the cold
натоўпу of the crowd цукру of sugar


3.3        Genitive plural endings

    It is often very difficult to predict the genitive plural endings of nouns.  The genitive plural form must be memorized for every feminine noun, and for masculine nouns ending in -ь.

Feminine nouns ending in -а or -я are the most problematic.

вежа
 вежаў
 of the spires
 зямля
 земляў
 of the lands
галава
 галоў
 of the heads
 крама
 крамаў
 of the shops
галіна
 галін
 of the branches
 лінія
 ліній
 of the lines
зорка
 зорак
 of the stars
 сям'я
 сем'яў
 of the families

Masculine nouns ending in -ь also have this issue.

госць
 гасцей
 of the guests
 локаць
 локцяў
 of the elbows
конь
 коней
 of the horses
 пень
 пнёў
 of the stumps

Some nouns can have either ending.

мяжа
 меж or межаў
 of the boundaries
сасна
 сосен or соснаў
 of the pine-trees
хата
 хат or хатаў
 of the cottages


3.4        Irregular prepositional endings

    Many maculine and neuter nouns with unaccented endings whose final consonant г or х, have irregular prepositional singular endings.  The final consonant morphs into з or с respectively.

бераг
 на беразе
 on the shore
верх
 на версе
 on top
кажух
 у кажусе
 in the leather jacket
луг
 на лузе
 in the field
начлег
 на начлезе
 in the lodgings
парог
 на парозе
 on the threshold
снег
 на снезе
 on the snow
стог
 на стозе
 on the haystack

*The form у кажуху is equally common.

    The following masculine and neuter nouns have irregular prepositional forms.

брат
 аб брату
 about the brother
горб
 на гарбу
 on the hump
меч
 на мячы
 on the sword
пост
 на пасту
 at the watch-post
ход
 на хаду
 in motion



гнядзо
 у гняздзе
 in the nest
малако
 у малацэ
 in milk
рэха
 у рэсе
 in the echo


3.5        Feminine Instrumental Ending Variation

There exists a variation of the instrumental ending for feminine nouns ending in -а or -я.  This alternate ending is created by replacing the final -й with a -ю.  This variation is common, but is non-standard and should be avoided by the non-native speaker.  This variation extends to adjectives and pronouns as well.

Бабуля толькі галавою паківала.
 The old lady just shook her head.
Я пайду з табой разам. I will go together with you.
З пэўнаю перасцярогай ў душы, Бураў пераступіў і другі парог. With definite caution in his soul, Burau crossed the second doorway also.


3.6        Gender and declension disagreement

    Masculine animate nouns ending in -а or -я do not decline like other masculine nouns.  If the accent falls on the ending, the word declines exactly as though it were feminine.  If the accent falls on the stem, the word has feminine endings for the nominative, accusative, and genitive singular cases, but has masculine endings for all remaining cases.  Note the examples of бацька, father, and тата, dad.


 Sing.
 Pl. Sing. Pl.
Nom. бацька бацькі тата таты
Acc. бацьку бацькоў тату татаў
Gen.
бацькі бацькоў таты татаў
Dat. бацьку бацькам тату татам
Instr. бацькам бацькамі
 татам татамі
Prep. аб бацьку аб бацьках аб таце татах

сабака dog
слуга servant
суддзя judge


3.7        Declension misfits

    Some nouns do not fit well in the normal declension patterns.  These include the  neuter noun дзіця, child, and the feminine nouns любоў, love, and кроў, blood.


 Sing.
 Pl.

Nom.
 дзіця дзеці любоў кроў
Acc.
 дзіця дзяцей любоў кроў
Gen.
 дзіцяці дзяцей любові крыві
Dat.
 дзіцяці
 дзецям любові крыві
Instr.
 дзіцём дзецьмі любоўю крывёй
Prep.
 аб дзіцяці аб дзецях аб любові у крыві

    There are many nouns, mostly foreign words, which do not decline.  They have the same form, regardless of case or number.

маці mother
пані
 Mrs.

<< Chapter 2:  Noun Declension
Chapter 4:  Irregular Plurals >>

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Copyright (c)  2004  Christian Cardell Marchant.
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