Belarusian, a beautiful and historically rich language, is spoken by millions of people primarily in Belarus. As you advance to a B1 level in your Belarusian language journey, you will encounter a variety of new words and phrases that are essential for deeper communication and comprehension. This article aims to guide you through some of the most important Belarusian words and phrases you should know at this intermediate level.

Common Verbs

Understanding verbs is crucial for forming sentences and conveying actions. Here are some common Belarusian verbs you should know:

1. **хадзіць** (khadzits’) – to walk
2. **бегаць** (beghats’) – to run
3. **працаваць** (pratsavats’) – to work
4. **чытаць** (chytać) – to read
5. **пісаць** (pisać) – to write
6. **есці** (yestsi) – to eat
7. **піць** (pits’) – to drink
8. **гаварыць** (havaryts’) – to speak
9. **слухаць** (slukhats’) – to listen
10. **бачыць** (bachyts’) – to see

These verbs will help you describe daily activities and interactions. Practice conjugating them in different tenses to get a better grasp of their usage.

Useful Nouns

Nouns are equally important as they help you name things, people, places, and ideas. Here are some useful Belarusian nouns:

1. **кніга** (kniga) – book
2. **школа** (shkola) – school
3. **гарад** (garad) – city
4. **сям’я** (syam’ya) – family
5. **дзіця** (dzytsya) – child
6. **дом** (dom) – house
7. **час** (chas) – time
8. **жыццё** (zhytstsyo) – life
9. **дружба** (druzhba) – friendship
10. **праца** (pratsa) – work

These nouns will help you describe your environment and the people around you. Make sure to learn their plural forms and how they change in different cases.

Adjectives to Describe

Adjectives are essential for adding detail and depth to your descriptions. Here are some important Belarusian adjectives:

1. **вялікі** (vyaliki) – big
2. **маленькі** (malen’ki) – small
3. **шчаслівы** (shchaslyvy) – happy
4. **сумны** (sumni) – sad
5. **цікавы** (tsikavy) – interesting
6. **складаный** (skladany) – difficult
7. **просты** (prosty) – easy
8. **прыгожы** (pryhozhy) – beautiful
9. **халодны** (khalodny) – cold
10. **гарачы** (garachy) – hot

These adjectives will help you express opinions and describe objects or situations more vividly.

Common Phrases

Mastering some common phrases will make your conversations smoother and more natural. Here are a few to get you started:

1. **Як справы?** (Yak spravy?) – How are you?
2. **Дзякуй!** (Dzyakuy!) – Thank you!
3. **Калі ласка.** (Kali laska.) – Please/You’re welcome.
4. **Прабачце.** (Prabach’tsye.) – Excuse me/Sorry.
5. **Не разумею.** (Ne razumeyu.) – I don’t understand.
6. **Колькі гэта каштуе?** (Kol’ki heta kashtuye?) – How much does this cost?
7. **Дзе туалет?** (Dzye tualet?) – Where is the bathroom?
8. **Я не ведаю.** (Ya ne vedayu.) – I don’t know.
9. **Можа быць.** (Mozha byts’) – Maybe.
10. **Так, зразумела.** (Tak, zrazumela.) – Yes, I understand.

These phrases are particularly useful in day-to-day interactions and can help you navigate through various social situations.

Numbers and Time

Being able to talk about numbers and time is vital in any language. Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in Belarusian:

1. **адзін** (adzin)
2. **два** (dva)
3. **тры** (try)
4. **чатыры** (chatyry)
5. **пяць** (pyats’)
6. **шэсць** (shests’)
7. **сем** (syem)
8. **восем** (vosem)
9. **дзевяць** (dzyev’yats’)
10. **дзясяць** (dzesyats’)

Understanding how to tell time is also important. Here are some phrases related to time:

1. **Якая зараз гадзіна?** (Yakaya zaraz hadzina?) – What time is it now?
2. **Цяпер восьма гадзіна.** (Tsyaper vos’ma hadzina.) – It is eight o’clock now.
3. **Паўдня** (Paw’nya) – Noon
4. **Паўночы** (Paw’nochy) – Midnight
5. **раніца** (ranitsa) – Morning
6. **днём** (dnyom) – Afternoon
7. **вечар** (vyechar) – Evening
8. **ноч** (noch’) – Night

These words and phrases will help you manage your schedule and make appointments effectively.

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Prepositions and conjunctions are the glue that holds sentences together. Here are some you should know:

1. **ў** (u) – in
2. **на** (na) – on
3. **пад** (pad) – under
4. **праз** (praz) – through
5. **побач з** (pobach z) – next to
6. **і** (i) – and
7. **але** (ale) – but
8. **бо** (bo) – because
9. **таму што** (tamu shta) – because
10. **калі** (kali) – when

These words will help you construct more complex sentences and express relationships between different elements in your conversation.

Pronouns

Pronouns are crucial for referring to people and things without constantly repeating their names. Here are the Belarusian pronouns:

1. **я** (ya) – I
2. **ты** (ty) – you (singular informal)
3. **ён** (yon) – he
4. **яна** (yana) – she
5. **мы** (my) – we
6. **вы** (vy) – you (plural or formal)
7. **яны** (yany) – they
8. **мой** (moy) – my/mine
9. **твой** (tvoy) – your/yours (singular informal)
10. **наш** (nash) – our/ours

Learning these pronouns will help you refer to people and objects more efficiently.

Basic Grammar Rules

At the B1 level, you should be familiar with some basic grammar rules to form correct sentences. Here are a few important ones:

1. **Subject-Verb Agreement:** Ensure that the verb agrees with the subject in number and gender.
2. **Cases:** Belarusian has six cases—nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and locative. Each case has a specific function and changes the form of the noun.
3. **Verb Conjugation:** Verbs change their form based on tense, mood, and aspect. Make sure to practice conjugating verbs in different tenses.
4. **Adjective Agreement:** Adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.
5. **Word Order:** The standard word order in Belarusian is Subject-Verb-Object, but it can be flexible for emphasis.

Understanding these grammar rules will help you form more accurate and natural sentences.

Expressions and Idioms

Expressions and idioms add color to your language and help you sound more like a native speaker. Here are a few Belarusian expressions and idioms:

1. **Як дзве кроплі вады** (Yak dzve kropli vady) – Like two drops of water (used to describe two people who look very similar)
2. **На ўсе сто** (Na vse sto) – Absolutely (literally: on all hundred)
3. **Рабіць з мухі слана** (Rabit’ z mukhi slana) – To make an elephant out of a fly (to exaggerate)
4. **Душа ў пяты сышла** (Dusha u pyaty syshla) – The soul went to the heels (to be very scared)
5. **Лапаць з лоўкам** (Lapat’ z lowkam) – A simpleton (literally: a person wearing bast shoes)

Using these idioms will make your conversations more engaging and expressive.

Practice Makes Perfect

The key to mastering these Belarusian words and phrases is consistent practice. Here are some tips to help you practice effectively:

1. **Flashcards:** Create flashcards with the Belarusian word on one side and the English translation on the other. Review them daily.
2. **Language Exchange:** Find a language exchange partner who speaks Belarusian and practice speaking with them regularly.
3. **Reading:** Read Belarusian books, articles, and newspapers to see how these words and phrases are used in context.
4. **Writing:** Write short essays, diary entries, or even social media posts in Belarusian to practice your writing skills.
5. **Listening:** Listen to Belarusian music, podcasts, and watch movies or TV shows to improve your listening comprehension.

By incorporating these words and phrases into your daily practice, you will become more confident and proficient in Belarusian.

Conclusion

Reaching a B1 level in Belarusian is a significant milestone that opens up new opportunities for communication and understanding. By familiarizing yourself with these essential verbs, nouns, adjectives, phrases, numbers, prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns, and idioms, you will be well-equipped to navigate various social and practical situations. Remember, consistent practice and exposure to the language are key to your success. Keep pushing forward, and soon you will find yourself speaking Belarusian with greater ease and confidence.