Travel phrases

Essential Belarusian travel phrases

Pack the words that matter. These are the 34 Belarusian phrases that actually come up on a trip, from your first Добры дзень to calling for help, grouped by situation and written with a simple pronunciation guide. Chosen the way a Belarusian speaker would choose them, which is why the list ends with the phrases you only hear once you are there.

Quick answer

The most useful Belarusian travel phrases cover greetings, politeness, directions, food, and emergencies. Learn a handful first: Добры дзень (hello), Калі ласка (please), Дзякуй (thank you), and Дзе тут прыбіральня? (where is the toilet?). This free tool groups 34 Belarusian phrases by situation, each with a plain-English pronunciation. They are the phrases Belarusian speakers really use, not an English list translated into Belarusian, so the last block is the one a phrasebook never has: what locals say to each other.

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The first 10 Belarusian phrases to learn

The ones you need on day one. Say each phrase out loud until it comes without thinking.

  1. 1 Добры дзень Hello DOH-bry dzyen Most everyday talk in the cities is Russian, but Belarusian is understood everywhere
  2. 2 Прывітанне Hi pry-vee-TAHN-nye Informal, like the Russian Privet: friends and people your own age; to a stranger at a counter say Dobry dzien
  3. 3 Вітаю Hello, welcome vee-TAH-yoo A polite hello at any hour, very common in Belarusian; Vitayem on a sign means welcome, and the same verb gives congratulations
  4. 4 Да пабачэння Goodbye da pa-ba-CHEN-nya
  5. 5 Шчасліва All the best shchas-LEE-va Said as you part, the way English says take care
  6. 6 Дзякуй Thank you DZYAH-kooy
  7. 7 Калі ласка Please ka-LEE LAHS-ka Also serves as here you go when you hand something over
  8. 8 Так / Не Yes / No TAHK / NYEH No is Nie in Belarusian, not the Russian Nyet
  9. 9 Прабачце Sorry, and excuse me pra-BACH-tse
  10. 10 Я не разумею I don't understand ya nye ra-zoo-MYE-yoo
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All 34 phrases, grouped by situation.

Greetings

Добры дзень Hello DOH-bry dzyen Most everyday talk in the cities is Russian, but Belarusian is understood everywhere
Прывітанне Hi pry-vee-TAHN-nye Informal, like the Russian Privet: friends and people your own age; to a stranger at a counter say Dobry dzien
Вітаю Hello, welcome vee-TAH-yoo A polite hello at any hour, very common in Belarusian; Vitayem on a sign means welcome, and the same verb gives congratulations
Да пабачэння Goodbye da pa-ba-CHEN-nya
Шчасліва All the best shchas-LEE-va Said as you part, the way English says take care

Basics

Дзякуй Thank you DZYAH-kooy
Калі ласка Please ka-LEE LAHS-ka Also serves as here you go when you hand something over
Так / Не Yes / No TAHK / NYEH No is Nie in Belarusian, not the Russian Nyet
Прабачце Sorry, and excuse me pra-BACH-tse
Я не разумею I don't understand ya nye ra-zoo-MYE-yoo
Вы размаўляеце па-англійску? Do you speak English? vy raz-maw-LYA-ye-tse pa-an-HLEE-skoo

Getting around

Дзе тут прыбіральня? Where is the toilet? dzye toot pry-bee-RAL-nya Prybiralnia is the Belarusian word; tualiet is understood everywhere
Скажыце, калі ласка, дзе метро? Could you tell me where the metro is? ska-ZHY-tse ka-LEE LAHS-ka dzye met-ROH Skazhytsie kali laska is the polite way to open a question
Адзін талон, калі ласка One ticket, please a-DZEEN ta-LON ka-LEE LAHS-ka A talon is the paper bus ticket; cards and phone tickets are common now too
На наступным прыпынку, калі ласка At the next stop, please na na-STOOP-nym pry-PYN-koo ka-LEE LAHS-ka Prypynak is the stop; tell a marshrutka driver before you get there
Як дабрацца да цэнтра? How do I get to the centre? yahk da-BRAT-tsa da TSEN-tra

Eating out

Рахунак, калі ласка The bill, please ra-KHOO-nak ka-LEE LAHS-ka
Што вы параіце? What do you recommend? shto vy pa-RA-ee-tse
Мне дранікі, калі ласка I'll have the draniki, please mnye DRA-nee-kee ka-LEE LAHS-ka Draniki, fried potato pancakes, are the national dish and on every menu
Было вельмі смачна That was delicious by-LOH VYEL-mee SMACH-na The thing to say to the cook or the waiter as you leave
Смачна есці Enjoy your meal SMACH-na YES-tsee The Belarusian wish to someone eating, not the Russian formula; Smachnaha! is the short everyday form

Shopping

Колькі каштуе? How much is it? KOL-kee kash-TOO-ye
Можна карткай? Can I pay by card? MOZH-na KART-kay Foreign Visa and Mastercard work in many places in Minsk but not everywhere; keep some cash in Belarusian roubles
Дайце, калі ласка, вось гэта I'll take this one, please DAY-tse ka-LEE LAHS-ka vos HEH-ta Point at what you want over the counter and say it
Я проста гляджу I'm just looking ya PROS-ta hlya-DZHOO

Emergencies

Дапамажыце! Help! da-pa-ma-ZHY-tse
Выклічце хуткую! Call an ambulance! VY-kleech-tse KHOOT-koo-yoo Khutkaya is the ambulance service; the number is 103
Выклічце міліцыю! Call the police! VY-kleech-tse mee-LEE-tsy-yoo In Belarus the police are still the militsiya, not politsiya; dial 102
Я заблудзіўся I'm lost ya zab-loo-DZEEW-sya A woman says Ya zabludzilasia

Locals say

Няма за што Don't mention it nya-MAH za shto The usual answer to Dziakuj, alongside Kali laska
Як маешся? How are you? yahk MA-yesh-sya To one person you know; a typical answer is Pamalenku, so so
Будзьма здаровы! Cheers! BOODZ-ma zda-ROH-vy The table toast; it means let us stay healthy
На здароўе You're welcome, enjoy it na zda-ROH-wye Not a toast: the host's answer when you thank them for the food
Добрай дарогі Have a good trip DOH-bray da-ROH-hee Said to anyone setting off, from a bus ride to a flight home

How to get the most from these phrases

Learn by situation, not alphabetically. Your memory files Добры дзень next to the moment you would use it, so run through the greetings before you fly, the restaurant block on the way to dinner, and the emergency block once so it is there if you ever need it.

The pronunciation guide is written the way an English speaker would read it aloud, with the stressed syllable in capitals. It is a crutch, not the real sound. Say each phrase out loud a few times, and if you can, listen to a native speaker to fix the vowels that plain English spelling cannot capture.

Phrases get you to the country. What gets you fluent is meeting the same words again and again in context, which is exactly what reading does. Once Калі ласка and Дзякуй feel automatic, the next step is a real Belarusian sentence, then a page, then a book. That is the whole idea behind reading in Lingo7.

Start reading Belarusian with Lingo7 →

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Not sure of your Belarusian level? Take the CEFR test (A1-C2) →

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most important Belarusian phrases for travel?

Start with greetings and politeness, then the phrases that solve a real problem: asking directions, ordering, paying, and getting help. On this page that is Добры дзень (hello), Калі ласка (please), Дзякуй (thank you), Дзе тут прыбіральня? (where is the toilet?), and Дапамажыце! (help!). Learn those few and you can be polite and safe almost anywhere.

What do Belarusian locals say that a phrasebook leaves out?

A phrasebook translates English, so it gives you the Belarusian for "hello" and stops. The phrases people there actually trade all day are the ones with no English slot: Няма за што (don't mention it), Як маешся? (how are you?), Будзьма здаровы! (cheers!). The "Locals say" block on this page collects 5 of them and says when each one is used, which is usually what turns a correct sentence into a normal one.

How do you say hello and thank you in Belarusian?

In Belarusian, hello is Добры дзень (pronounced DOH-bry dzyen) and thank you is Дзякуй (DZYAH-kooy). Add Калі ласка (please) and Да пабачэння (goodbye), and you have the words that carry most short exchanges with a shopkeeper, waiter, or stranger.

How do you ask where the toilet is in Belarusian?

Ask Дзе тут прыбіральня? (pronounced dzye toot pry-bee-RAL-nya), which means "where is the toilet?" in Belarusian. If you only catch part of the reply, Я не разумею (I don't understand) and a smile usually gets it repeated or pointed out. It is one of the few phrases worth memorizing word for word before you go.

Do I need to learn Belarusian before traveling?

No, but a dozen Belarusian phrases go a long way. Locals warm up fast when you open with Добры дзень and Дзякуй instead of English. You do not need grammar or fluency for a trip, just the survival set above. For anything past that, the fastest route to real Belarusian is reading, which is exactly what Lingo7 is built for.