быць

Belarusian

Etymology

From Old East Slavic бꙑти (byti), from Proto-Slavic *byti.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bɨt͡sʲ]

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

быць • (bycʹ)

1. to be

Usage notes

• It is omitted in the present tense except in the third-person singular ёсць which is used either to emphasise the existence of the subject, a predicate meaning “there is” and to express possession (English verb "to have")

  Ёсць які-небудзь стары, што да вайны тут жыў? (Josc’ jakí-njébudzʹ starý, što da vajný tut žyŭ?)

  Is there anyone old that lived here before the war?

  У мяне ёсць пытанне (u mjanjé joscʹ pytánnje)

  I have a question.

• It is usually expressed in the present tense as a pause, represented in the written language by a dash.

  Я — беларус, а ты — украінец (ja - bjelarús, a ty - ukraínjec)

  I am a Belarusian and you are a Ukrainian.

  Хлопчык — вельмі галодны (xlópčyk vjél’mi halódny)

  The young man is very hungry.

• However, the dash is not written in third person impersonal adverbial phrases.

  Цяжка вывучыць новую мову (cjážka vývučycʹ nóvuju móvu)

  It is difficult to learn a new language.

• Other verbs such as бываць and стаць can also be used instead.

Conjugation

Conjugation of быць

imperfective aspect
infinitive	быць (bycʹ)
adverbial	present tense	past tense
	бу́дучы (búdučy)	—
	present tense	future tense
1st singular (я (ja))	—	бу́ду (búdu)
2nd singular (ты (ty))	—	бу́дзеш (búdzješ)
3rd singular (ён (jon)/яна́ (janá)/яно́ (janó))	ёсць (joscʹ)	бу́дзе (búdzje)
1st plural (мы (my))	—	бу́дзем (búdzjem)
2nd plural (вы (vy))	—	бу́дзеце (búdzjecje)
3rd plural (яны́ (janý))	—	бу́дуць (búducʹ)
imperative	singular	plural
	будзь (budzʹ)	бу́дзьце (búdzʹcje)
past tense	singular	plural (мы (my), вы (vy), яны́ (janý))
masculine (я (ja), ты (ty), ён (jon))	быў (byŭ)	былі́ (bylí)
feminine (я (ja), ты (ty), яна́ (janá))	была́ (bylá)
neuter (яно́ (janó))	былó (byló)