Fiha na talyertsy, meaning ‘fig on a plate’, is typically used to convey disappointment, unfounded hope or frustration at something that was never meant to happen but for one short moment seemed like a reality. Not joining a toast is also considered rude. Good morning!
прывітанне! When in Minsk, you can even pay a visit to a charity shop of the same name. Смачнога / смачна есьці (smach-no-ha / smach-na yes′-tsi). Despite that, research shows that fewer than 10% of Belarusians still communicate in Belarusian in their daily lives. Fiha is a mildly obscene gesture made with the thumb tucked between the index and middle fingers. добры вечар! Why ‘bury your head in the sand’ when you could ‘hide in potatoes’ instead?
How can I get to (this place, this city)? The Belarusian word dzyakuy has many relatives across Eastern and Central Europe: dziękuję in Polish, дякую (dyakuyu) in Ukrainian and the slightly less obvious d’akujem in Slovakian, to name a few. Za vasha zdarowye sounds similar to its other Slavic counterparts, and means precisely the same – ‘to your health’. © Copyright Trafalgar Tours, all rights reserved. A collection of useful phrases in Belarusian, an Eastern Slavic language spoken mainly in Belarus. Я не разумею / Я не размаўляю па-беларуску (ya nye ra-zu-mye-yu / ya nye ra-zma-wlya-yu pa-bye-la-rus-ku), Meaning: I don’t understand / I don’t speak Belarusian. The Belarusian word dzyakuy has many relatives across Eastern and Central Europe: dziękuję in Polish, дякую (dyakuyu) in Ukrainian and the slightly less obvious d’akujem in Slovakian, to name a few. Your email address will not be published. | zaprashaem! Curiously, less than a quarter of Belarusians actually speak Belarussian, also referred to as ‘White Russian’. Добрай раніцы (dob-ray ra-ni-tsy) / добры дзень (dob-ry dzyen′) / добры вечар (dob-ry ve-char). Used to describe the values of someone unambitious and materialistic.
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As it’s so unusual for visitors to speak Belarusian, one innocuous remark in Belarusian can lead to a barrage of questions. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Best of Finland, Russia and the Baltic States. Monday панядзелак (paniaDZEIlak) Tuesday аўторак (awTOrak) Wednesday серада (sieraDA) Thursday чацьвер (chatsVEIR) Friday пятніца (PIATnitsa) Saturday сyбота (suBOta) Sunday Never interrupt a Belarusian when they are talking. This is a neutral phrase, which means you can use it in both formal and informal contexts.
When followed by a polite request, it can help you get things done. As such, it has links with Russian and Ukranian, and even borrows some words from Polish. This little-spoken language is making a comeback, however, as more Belarusians return to their roots. Barring the Minsk restaurants serving breakfast until 4pm, dobray ranitsy is only used pre-midday, after which point it is replaced with dobry dzyen. Prabachtsye is an all-purpose word. United by a common root, these words may be traced back to the Old Slavonic dyaka, which means ‘the feeling of gratitude in return for a good deed’. Avoid discussing politics at all costs, especially Russian politics. Once you're done with the Belarussian Phrases, you might want to check the rest of our Belarusian lessons here: Learn Belarusian.
Get the most out of your trip to Belarus by picking up these key Belarusian words and phrases. Here are our three favourites: Cyrk na drocie (A circus on the wire) Used to refer to when something funny or ridiculous occurs. Why stop at our 7 most useful Belarusian phrases, when you could really chew the fat with the locals and exchange a few choice Belarusian expressions? добры дзень! Hello my friend! Then opt for a more casual da sustrechy (‘Until the next meeting’). The informal variants include pra-bach / praba-chay, vy-bach / vyba-chay – listen for them. Used to refer to when something funny or ridiculous occurs. Don’t focus on beer for too long, though – try starka (a type of hard alcohol made from fermented rye mash) or krambambula (a uniquely Belarusian drink consisting of red wine and various kinds of liquor). Your questions answered: Why is tourism so important to the economy?