Complex sentences

A2 — Будова сказа

Relative clauses with які, reported speech with што, and the fact that Belarusian keeps the original tense where English shifts it back.

I can build relative clauses with які and report what someone said or asked.

Examples

Кніга, якую я чытаю, вельмі цікавая. — The book I am reading is very interesting.
Горад, у якім я жыву, зусім невялікі. — The town I live in is quite small.
Ён сказаў, што прыйдзе а сёмай. — He said he would come at seven.
Я не ведаю, ці яна прыйдзе. — I do not know whether she will come.
Сябры, з якімі мы ездзілі на Браславы, жывуць у Полацку. — The friends we went to Braslau with live in Polatsk.

Sentence structureA2

Complex sentences

Relative clauses with які, reported speech with што, and the fact that Belarusian keeps the original tense where English shifts it back.

Learning Goal

I can build relative clauses with які and report what someone said or asked.

Exam Skills:BSU · WritingBSU · Speaking

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

Кніга, якую я чытаю, вельмі цікавая.

The book I am reading is very interesting.

Горад, у якім я жыву, зусім невялікі.

The town I live in is quite small.

Ён сказаў, што прыйдзе а сёмай.

He said he would come at seven.

Я не ведаю, ці яна прыйдзе.

I do not know whether she will come.

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

Які - the relative pronoun

Які means which or who, and it behaves as an adjective: it takes its gender and number from the noun it refers back to, but its case from its own clause. That split is the whole difficulty.

Кніга, якую я чытаю - the book that I am reading. Feminine from кніга, accusative because it is the object of чытаю.
Чалавек, які прыйшоў - the man who came. Masculine, and nominative because he is the subject of прыйшоў.
Горад, у якім я жыву - the town I live in. Masculine, locative after у.

Што for reporting

Што introduces a reported statement, ці a reported yes/no question:

Ён кажа, што прыйдзе. - He says he will come.
Я не ведаю, ці ён прыйдзе. - I do not know whether he will come.

The tense does not shift

English moves a reported verb one step back: he said he was coming. Belarusian keeps whatever the speaker actually said:

Ён сказаў, што прыйдзе. - He said he would come (literally: that he will come).
Яна сказала, што хворая. - She said she was ill (literally: that she is ill).

Shifting the tense back, as English does, produces a sentence that means something else.

Other subordinators

дзе where, калі when, чаму why, як how, колькі how much - all keep the direct-question word order. There is no inversion to undo.

Apply this grammar in A2 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Typical errors: taking the case of які from the main clause instead of its own; and shifting the tense back in reported speech, which changes the meaning.

Common Error Patterns

Taking the case of які from the main clause

Gender and number come from the noun; the case comes from its own clause.

Using который instead of які

The Belarusian relative is які, якая, якое, якія.

Shifting the tense back in reported speech

Belarusian keeps what was said: Ён сказаў, што прыйдзе.

Using ли after the word instead of ці before the clause

Я не ведаю, ці ён прыйдзе.

Кніга, якую я чытаю, вельмі цікавая.

The book I am reading is very interesting.

Якую is feminine from кніга and accusative from чытаю.

Горад, у якім я жыву, зусім невялікі.

The town I live in is quite small.

Locative after у, masculine from горад.

Ён сказаў, што прыйдзе а сёмай.

He said he would come at seven.

The tense stays as the speaker said it - прыйдзе, a future, even after a past-tense verb of speaking.

Я не ведаю, ці яна прыйдзе.

I do not know whether she will come.

A reported yes/no question takes ці, and it comes first in its clause.

Сябры, з якімі мы ездзілі на Браславы, жывуць у Полацку.

The friends we went to Braslau with live in Polatsk.

Plural from сябры, instrumental after з.

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Frequently asked questions

When do you use Complex sentences?: Які means which or who, and it behaves as an adjective: it takes its gender and number from the noun it refers back to , but its case from its own clause . That split is the whole difficulty.
How do you form Complex sentences?: Што introduces a reported statement, ці a reported yes/no question: English moves a reported verb one step back: he said he was coming . Belarusian keeps whatever the speaker actually said: Shifting the tense back, as English does, produces a sentence that means something else. дзе where, калі when, чаму why, як how, колькі how much - all keep the direct-question word order. There is no inversion to undo.
What are common mistakes with Complex sentences?: Typical errors: taking the case of які from the main clause instead of its own; and shifting the tense back in reported speech, which changes the meaning.

Sources

Кароткая граматыка беларускай мовы. У 2 ч. Ч. 2: Сінтаксіс / навук. рэд. А. А. Лукашанец — НАН Беларусі, Інстытут мовазнаўства імя Якуба Коласа; Мінск: Беларуская навука, 240 с., 2009
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.

Які - the relative pronoun

Кніга, якую я чытаю - the book that I am reading. Feminine from кніга, accusative because it is the object of чытаю.
Чалавек, які прыйшоў - the man who came. Masculine, and nominative because he is the subject of прыйшоў.
Горад, у якім я жыву - the town I live in. Masculine, locative after у.

Што for reporting

Што introduces a reported statement, ці a reported yes/no question:

Ён кажа, што прыйдзе. - He says he will come.
Я не ведаю, ці ён прыйдзе. - I do not know whether he will come.

The tense does not shift

English moves a reported verb one step back: he said he was coming. Belarusian keeps whatever the speaker actually said:

Ён сказаў, што прыйдзе. - He said he would come (literally: that he will come).
Яна сказала, што хворая. - She said she was ill (literally: that she is ill).

Shifting the tense back, as English does, produces a sentence that means something else.

Other subordinators

дзе where, калі when, чаму why, як how, колькі how much - all keep the direct-question word order. There is no inversion to undo.

Frequently asked questions

When do you use Complex sentences?

Які means which or who, and it behaves as an adjective: it takes its gender and number from the noun it refers back to , but its case from its own clause . That split is the whole difficulty.

How do you form Complex sentences?

Што introduces a reported statement, ці a reported yes/no question: English moves a reported verb one step back: he said he was coming . Belarusian keeps whatever the speaker actually said: Shifting the tense back, as English does, produces a sentence that means something else. дзе where, калі when, чаму why, як how, колькі how much - all keep the direct-question word order. There is no inversion to undo.

What are common mistakes with Complex sentences?

Typical errors: taking the case of які from the main clause instead of its own; and shifting the tense back in reported speech, which changes the meaning.

Sources

Кароткая граматыка беларускай мовы. У 2 ч. Ч. 2: Сінтаксіс / навук. рэд. А. А. Лукашанец — НАН Беларусі, Інстытут мовазнаўства імя Якуба Коласа; Мінск: Беларуская навука, 240 с., 2009

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.