The direct object and the destination - and the animacy rule that makes бачу сябра look like a genitive because it is one.
I can use the accusative for objects, destinations and time, and apply the animacy rule.
Подивіться на ці приклади. Чи можете ви помітити граматичну закономірність?
Учора я бачыў старога сябра.
Yesterday I saw an old friend.
Учора я бачыў стары горад.
Yesterday I saw the old town.
Кладу кнігу на стол, а яна ўжо на стале.
I am putting the book on the table, and it is already on the table.
Мы чакалі цябе цэлую гадзіну.
We waited a whole hour for you.
Зверніть увагу на виділені частини. Що у них спільного?
This is the part that surprises. For masculine and plural nouns, the accusative depends on whether the thing is alive:
| Type | Accusative looks like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine inanimate | the nominative | бачу горад |
| masculine animate | the genitive | бачу сябра |
| plural inanimate | the nominative | бачу сталы |
| plural animate | the genitive | бачу сяброў |
Feminine and neuter singulars have their own accusative and ignore the rule entirely: кнігу, акно.
Whatever the noun does, the adjective does with it: бачу старога сябра but бачу стары горад.
The same preposition with the accusative means motion and with the locative means position. By now this should be automatic:
The accusative also carries duration and days: чакаў гадзіну, у суботу, на Купалле.
Застосуйте цю граматику у вправах курсу A2
Вправи для практикиTypical errors: ignoring animacy and saying бачу сябар; and declining the noun while leaving the adjective in the nominative.
Ignoring the animacy rule
Бачу сябра and сяброў borrow the genitive; бачу горад and сталы match the nominative.
Leaving the adjective in the nominative
Бачу старога сябра, бачу стары горад - the adjective follows the noun.
Using the accusative for a position
Кладу на стол is motion; кніга на стале is position.
Using the Russian genitive form for an animate accusative
Сябра, сяброў, дзяцей - Belarusian forms.
Учора я бачыў старога сябра.
Yesterday I saw an old friend.
Animate, so the accusative borrows the genitive - and the adjective goes with it.
Учора я бачыў стары горад.
Yesterday I saw the old town.
Inanimate, so the accusative matches the nominative - the same verb, a different ending.
Кладу кнігу на стол, а яна ўжо на стале.
I am putting the book on the table, and it is already on the table.
The same preposition twice: accusative for the motion, locative for the position.
Мы чакалі цябе цэлую гадзіну.
We waited a whole hour for you.
Duration in the accusative: <em>цэлую гадзіну</em>.
На Купалле мы едзем на раку.
At Kupalle we go to the river.
Two accusatives after <em>на</em>: the festival and the destination.
Практикувати в курсі
Застосуйте цю граматику у вправах курсу A2