Politeness and greetings

Politeness and greetings

Greeting by the time of day

Добрай раніцы is in the genitive, a wish rather than a statement: it is short for wishing you a good morning. Добры дзень is nominative and is the neutral all-purpose greeting.

Parting

Да пабачэння (goodbye, literally until seeing), Бывай / Бывайце (informal, warm), Усяго добрага (all the best), Да сустрэчы (until we meet).

Please and thank you

• Дзякуй — thank you. Вялікі дзякуй — thank you very much.
• Калі ласка — please, and also you are welcome.
• Прабачце / Выбачайце — excuse me, I am sorry.
• Няма за што — not at all, don't mention it.

Спадар and спадарыня

Belarusian brought back its own forms of address: спадар for a man, спадарыня for a woman, спадарства for a mixed company — the equivalent of ladies and gentlemen. They are used with the surname or on their own: Добры дзень, спадар Быкаў. They carry a distinctly Belarusian register, and a speaker who uses them is signalling something about which language they have chosen.

Ты and Вы

Ты for family, friends, children and close colleagues. Вы, capitalised in writing, for strangers, older people and anyone in an official role. Belarusian moves to ты a little faster than English-speaking cultures move to first names, but the offer to switch is still made explicitly: Можна на ты?

At the table

Смачна есці! — enjoy your meal. Будзьма! — the toast, roughly "let us be", which has become something of a cultural slogan. A guest is met with bread and salt, and refusing a second helping usually takes two attempts.