The three genders — a refresher

Every Belarusian noun belongs to one of three genders. You learned this in Unit 3 — now let's review with all the vocabulary you know!

Usually ends in a consonant. But watch out — some masculine nouns end in -а/-я (like сабака, тата, бацька, дзядуля).

дом, сыр, хлеб, сок, плот — house, cheese, bread, juice, fence

сабака, тата, бацька, дзядуля — dog, dad, father, grandpa

Usually ends in -а/-я or -ь. Common feminine nouns include most foods ending in -а and family words ending in -ка.

вада, кава, рыба, бульба, школа — water, coffee, fish, potato, school

гусь, маці, ноч — goose, mother, night

Usually ends in -а/-о/-е/-ё or the diminutive suffix -нё/-ня.

малако, мяса, масла, вакно — milk, meat, butter, window

кацянё, дрэва, яйка — kitten, tree/wood, egg

Vocabulary

Practice

This lesson includes 10 interactive exercises — multiple choice, listening, translation, and more. Sign up free to practice with XP, hearts, and streaks.