ледзь

Belarusian

Alternative forms

• ledź — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

Etymology

Clipping of ле́дзьве (ljédzʹvje). Compare Ukrainian ледь (ledʹ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lʲet͡sʲ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Adverb

ледзь • (ljedzʹ)

1. (only) slightly, a little, barely

   Synonyms: чуць (čucʹ), злёгку (zljóhku), нямно́га (njamnóha)

   ледзь жывы́ ― ljedzʹ žyvý ― barely alive

   аго́нь ледзь гары́ць ― ahónʹ ljedzʹ harýcʹ ― the fire is barely burning

   ледзь чу́тна ― ljedzʹ čútna ― barely audible

   тады́ ён ледзь то́лькі пачына́ў піса́ць ― tadý jon ljedzʹ tólʹki pačynáŭ pisácʹ ― then he barely started writing

2. difficultly, hardly, (only) with great difficulty, barely

   Synonyms: насі́лу (nasílu), ле́дзьве (ljédzʹvje)

   ледзь пераплы́ў раку́ ― ljedzʹ pjeraplýŭ rakú ― barely swam across the river

   ледзь падня́ў ― ljedzʹ padnjáŭ ― it barely raised up

3. (in the negative with не (nje)) almost, nearly

   Synonyms: ама́ль (amálʹ), ле́дзьве (ljédzʹvje), чуць не (čucʹ nje)

   рэ́чы занялі́ ледзь не пало́ву пако́я ― réčy zanjalí ljedzʹ nje palóvu pakója ― the things took up almost half of the room

   ледзь не ўпаў ― ljedzʹ nje ŭpaŭ ― he almost fell

Usage notes

• Senses 1 and 2 can both be translated as "barely", however sense 1 is primarily about something of very small magnitude, e.g. "there were barely any people there", while sense 2 concerns being able to do something only with great difficulty, e.g. "I barely managed to climb down the mountain".
• Sometimes reinforced using то́лькі (tólʹki), as seen in some of the usage examples.

Conjunction

ледзь • (ljedzʹ)

1. as soon as

   ледзь узышло́ со́нца, я ру́шыў у даро́гу ― ljedzʹ uzyšló sónca, ja rúšyŭ u daróhu ― as soon as the sun rose, I got onto the road

   ледзь то́лькі ён вы́ехаў, ба́цька ўвайшо́ў у двор ― ljedzʹ tólʹki jon výjexaŭ, bácʹka ŭvajšóŭ u dvor ― as soon as he left, his father entered the yard

References

• “ледзь”, in Skarnik's Belarusian dictionary (in Belarusian), based on Kandrat Krapiva's Explanatory Dictionary of the Belarusian Language (1977-1984)
• “ледзь” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org