як, чым, за, нібы - the four ways of making a comparison, and the fixed similes that a native speaker reaches for without thinking.
I can compare two things four different ways and use the common fixed similes.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Гэты замак большы за той.
This castle is bigger than that one.
Было лепш, чым я думаў.
It was better than I expected.
Ён такі ж высокі, як яго бацька.
He is as tall as his father.
Дзед здаровы як зубр.
Grandfather is as strong as an ox.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
| Word | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| як | likeness, with equals | белы як снег |
| чым | than, after a comparative | большы, чым той |
| за + accusative | than, after a comparative | большы за той |
| нібы / быццам | as if, a hypothetical likeness | нібы нічога не здарылася |
Такі ж... як and гэтакі самы... як for two things alike: Ён такі ж высокі, як бацька. For quantity, столькі ж... колькі: У мяне столькі ж часу, колькі ў цябе.
За with the accusative and чым with the nominative are interchangeable after a comparative. За is tighter and more common in speech; чым is necessary when the second half is a whole clause: лепш, чым я думаў.
Every language has these and they cannot be translated word for word. A few worth having:
Здаровы як зубр is worth knowing for what it says about the culture: the animal chosen for strength is the one from the Bielaviezhskaja Pushcha.
For two things changing together: Чым далей, тым цікавей. - The further on, the more interesting.
Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesTypical errors: using a bare genitive for than, and translating a fixed simile word for word from another language.
Using a bare genitive for than
За with the accusative, or чым: большы за той.
Using за before a whole clause
A clause needs чым: лепш, чым я думаў.
Translating a fixed simile word for word
Learn them whole: здаровы як зубр, чырвоны як бурак.
Omitting ж from такі ж... як
The particle is part of the construction.
Гэты замак большы за той.
This castle is bigger than that one.
<em>За</em> with the accusative - the tighter and more common form.
Было лепш, чым я думаў.
It was better than I expected.
<em>Чым</em> is required because the second half is a whole clause.
Ён такі ж высокі, як яго бацька.
He is as tall as his father.
Equal comparison with <em>такі ж... як</em>.
Дзед здаровы як зубр.
Grandfather is as strong as an ox.
A fixed simile, and the animal is the bison of the Bielaviezhskaja Pushcha.
Чым далей у лес, тым больш грыбоў.
The further into the forest, the more mushrooms.
The <em>чым... тым</em> pattern for two things changing together.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises
The syntax volume of the current academic reference grammar, cited as the standard reference for Belarusian sentence structure rather than for one quoted passage. It is what the description on this page is measured against; it is not a source for any single claim here.