Modality: must, may, should, be able

B2 — Дзеяслоў

Мушу, магу, трэба, можна, варта, мець - the words for obligation and possibility, most of which are impersonal and put you in the dative.

I can express obligation, permission, ability and advice, choosing between the personal and impersonal patterns.

Examples

Мне трэба было заехаць у аптэку. — I had to stop by the pharmacy.
Мушу прызнацца, што я памыліўся. — I have to admit I was wrong.
Цягнік мае прыйсці а трэцяй. — The train is due at three.
Варта было б спытаць у суседзяў. — It might have been worth asking the neighbours.
Ён, мусіць, ужо дома. — He is probably home by now.

ДзеяслоўB2

Modality: must, may, should, be able

Мушу, магу, трэба, можна, варта, мець - the words for obligation and possibility, most of which are impersonal and put you in the dative.

Learning Goal

I can express obligation, permission, ability and advice, choosing between the personal and impersonal patterns.

Exam Skills:BSU: ГаварэннеBSU: Пісьмо

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Мне трэба было заехаць у аптэку.

I had to stop by the pharmacy.

Мушу прызнацца, што я памыліўся.

I have to admit I was wrong.

Цягнік мае прыйсці а трэцяй.

The train is due at three.

Варта было б спытаць у суседзяў.

It might have been worth asking the neighbours.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Two shapes

Some modal words conjugate and take a nominative subject; most do not, and put the person in the dative. Getting the shape right matters more than the meaning nuance.

Word	Means	Shape
магу, можаш...	can, be able	personal: Я магу прыйсці.
мушу, мусіш...	must (strong)	personal: Я мушу ісці.
умею	know how to	personal: Я ўмею плаваць.
трэба	need to, must	impersonal: Мне трэба ісці.
можна	may, be allowed	impersonal: Тут можна курыць?
нельга	may not, cannot	impersonal: Тут нельга.
варта	be worth	impersonal: Варта паглядзець.
мае / маю	be due to	personal: Ён мае прыйсці а пятай.

Мушу and мае

Two that a Russian speaker will not predict:

Мусіць is the strong obligation verb - stronger than трэба, closer to have to with no way out: Мушу прызнацца - I have to admit. As a parenthetical, мусіць also means probably: Ён, мусіць, ужо дома.
Мець plus an infinitive expresses a scheduled or expected action: Цягнік мае прыйсці а трэцяй - the train is due at three. This is a Western Slavic pattern that Belarusian shares with Polish and Russian does not have.

Tense on impersonals

The impersonal ones take было and будзе for past and future, and the person stays in the dative throughout:

Мне трэба было ісці. - I had to go.
Табе можна будзе адпачыць. - You will be allowed to rest.

Softening

Adding бы makes any of them tentative: Варта было б спытаць, Трэба было б патэлефанаваць. This is the ordinary way to give advice without pressing.

Apply this grammar in B2 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Typical errors: making the person the nominative subject of трэба or можна, and missing that мець plus infinitive means scheduled rather than possessed.

Common Error Patterns

Using the nominative with трэба or можна

The person is dative: мне трэба, табе можна.

Reading мець plus infinitive as possession

It means scheduled to: цягнік мае прыйсці.

Leaving an impersonal modal tenseless

Было and будзе carry it: трэба было, можна будзе.

Using Russian modal words

Трэба, можна, нельга, варта, мушу.

Мне трэба было заехаць у аптэку.

I had to stop by the pharmacy.

Impersonal: the person is dative and было carries the tense.

Мушу прызнацца, што я памыліўся.

I have to admit I was wrong.

Мусіць is stronger than трэба - obligation with no way round it.

Цягнік мае прыйсці а трэцяй.

The train is due at three.

Мець plus infinitive for a scheduled event - not possession.

Варта было б спытаць у суседзяў.

It might have been worth asking the neighbours.

Бы turns advice into a suggestion.

Ён, мусіць, ужо дома.

He is probably home by now.

The same word as parenthesis means probably, not must.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in B2 course exercises

B2 Course

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Frequently asked questions

When is Modality: must, may, should, be able used?: Some modal words conjugate and take a nominative subject; most do not, and put the person in the dative. Getting the shape right matters more than the meaning nuance.
How is Modality: must, may, should, be able formed?: The impersonal ones take было and будзе for past and future, and the person stays in the dative throughout: Adding бы makes any of them tentative: Варта было б спытаць , Трэба было б патэлефанаваць . This is the ordinary way to give advice without pressing.
What are common mistakes with Modality: must, may, should, be able?: Typical errors: making the person the nominative subject of трэба or можна, and missing that мець plus infinitive means scheduled rather than possessed.

Sources

Кароткая граматыка беларускай мовы. У 2 ч. Ч. 1: Фаналогія. Марфаналогія. Марфалогія / навук. рэд. А. А. Лукашанец — НАН Беларусі, Інстытут мовазнаўства імя Якуба Коласа; Мінск: Беларуская навука, 351 с., 2007
The current academic reference grammar; the linked edition serves the full text. Its morphology part is the source for the paradigms used here. On the neuter noun it states the nominative singular endings as -а (-о) and -е (-ё), and gives the nominative plural as -ы after a hard consonant (сёлы, вёдры) against -і after a soft consonant and after к, х (палі, воблакі).

Word

Means

Shape

магу, можаш...

can, be able

personal: Я магу прыйсці.

мушу, мусіш...

must (strong)

personal: Я мушу ісці.

умею

know how to

personal: Я ўмею плаваць.

трэба

need to, must

impersonal: Мне трэба ісці.

можна

may, be allowed

impersonal: Тут можна курыць?

нельга

may not, cannot

impersonal: Тут нельга.

варта

be worth

impersonal: Варта паглядзець.

мае / маю

be due to

personal: Ён мае прыйсці а пятай.

Frequently asked questions

When is Modality: must, may, should, be able used?

Some modal words conjugate and take a nominative subject; most do not, and put the person in the dative. Getting the shape right matters more than the meaning nuance.

How is Modality: must, may, should, be able formed?

The impersonal ones take было and будзе for past and future, and the person stays in the dative throughout: Adding бы makes any of them tentative: Варта было б спытаць , Трэба было б патэлефанаваць . This is the ordinary way to give advice without pressing.

What are common mistakes with Modality: must, may, should, be able?

Typical errors: making the person the nominative subject of трэба or можна, and missing that мець plus infinitive means scheduled rather than possessed.

Sources

Кароткая граматыка беларускай мовы. У 2 ч. Ч. 1: Фаналогія. Марфаналогія. Марфалогія / навук. рэд. А. А. Лукашанец — НАН Беларусі, Інстытут мовазнаўства імя Якуба Коласа; Мінск: Беларуская навука, 351 с., 2007

The current academic reference grammar; the linked edition serves the full text. Its morphology part is the source for the paradigms used here. On the neuter noun it states the nominative singular endings as -а (-о) and -е (-ё), and gives the nominative plural as -ы after a hard consonant (сёлы, вёдры) against -і after a soft consonant and after к, х (палі, воблакі).