быць

Belarusian

Etymology

Inherited from Old Belarusian быти (byti), from Old East Slavic бꙑти (byti), from Proto-Slavic *byti.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bɨt͡sʲ]
• Rhymes: -ɨt͡sʲ

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: быць

Verb

быць • (bycʹ) impf

1. to be
2. (auxiliary, future tense) used to form the future tense of imperfect verbs
3. (auxiliary, past tense) used to form the pluperfect tense of perfect verbs

   Ён пайшо́ў быў куды́сьці ― Jon pajšóŭ byŭ kudýsʹci ― He had gone somewhere

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” or to express possession (English verb "to have").

  Ёсць які́-не́будзь стары́, што да вайны́ тут жыў? ― Joscʹ jakí-njébudzʹ starý, što da vajný tut žyŭ? ― Is there anyone old that lived here before the war?

  У мяне́ ёсць пыта́нне. ― 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 after nouns (but not after pronouns). It is not used if the predicate is an adjective.

  Мой ся́бар — белару́с, а ты украі́нец. ― Moj sjábar — bjelarús, a ty ukraínjec. ― My friend is Belarusian and you are Ukrainian.

  Хло́пчык ве́льмі гало́дны. ― Xlópčyk vjélʹmi halódny. ― The young man is very hungry.

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

  Ця́жка вы́вучыць но́вую мо́ву. ― Cjážka vývučycʹ nóvuju móvu. ― It is difficult to learn a new language.

• Other verbs such as быва́ць (byvácʹ) and стаць (stacʹ) can also be used instead.

Conjugation

Conjugation of быць

imperfective aspect
infinitive	быць bycʹ
participles	present tense	past tense
active	—	—
passive	—	—
adverbial	бу́дучы búdučy	бы́ўшы býŭšy
	present tense	future tense
1st singular я	—	бу́ду búdu
2nd singular ты	—	бу́дзеш búdzješ
3rd singular ён / яна́ / яно́	ёсць joscʹ	бу́дзе búdzje
1st plural мы	—	бу́дзем búdzjem
2nd plural вы	—	бу́дзеце búdzjecje
3rd plural яны́	—	бу́дуць búducʹ
imperative	singular	plural
second person	будзь budzʹ	бу́дзьце búdzʹcje
past tense	singular	plural мы / вы / яны́
masculine я / ты / ён	быў byŭ	былі́ bylí
feminine я / ты / яна́	была́ bylá
neuter яно́	было́ byló

References

• “быць” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org

Further reading

• I. I. Nosovič, editor (1870), “бы́тый”, in Slovarʹ bělorusskago narěčija‎^[1] (in Russian), volumes 1–2, Saint Petersburg: The Imperial Academy of Sciences, page 75