Прошлы час

Учора я быў у Нацыянальнай бібліятэцы.

Yesterday I was at the National Library.

<strong>Быў</strong> with the <em>ў</em> ending, said by a man. The National Library in Minsk is the rhombicuboctahedron that lights up at night.

Мая сястра чытала Багдановіча ўвесь вечар.

My sister read Bahdanovich all evening.

Feminine subject, so <em>-ла</em>. Maksim Bahdanovich wrote the small body of verse that shaped modern Belarusian poetry before dying at twenty-five.

Мы хадзілі на Купалле да ракі.

We went to the river for Kupalle.

Plural <em>-лі</em>. On Kupalle night wreaths are floated on the water and the fires are kept up until dawn.

Ён ішоў праз лес і нёс кошык грыбоў.

He walked through the forest carrying a basket of mushrooms.

Two of the endingless masculine forms in one sentence: <strong>ішоў</strong> and <strong>нёс</strong>. Mushrooming is close to a national pastime.

Скарына надрукаваў першую кнігу ў 1517 годзе.

Skaryna printed the first book in 1517.

A perfective past: the action is complete. Francysk Skaryna printed in Prague, making Belarusian one of the earliest vernaculars to reach print.