хіба

Belarusian

Alternative forms

• chiba — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *xyba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈxʲiba]
• Rhymes: -iba

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

хі́ба • (xíba) f inan (genitive хі́бы, nominative plural хі́бы, genitive plural хіб)

1. mistake, error; fault

   Synonym: зага́на (zahána)

Declension

Declension of хі́ба (inan hard fem-form accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	хі́ба xíba	хі́бы xíby
genitive	хі́бы xíby	хіб xib
dative	хі́бе xíbje	хі́бам xíbam
accusative	хі́бу xíbu	хі́бы xíby
instrumental	хі́бай, хі́баю xíbaj, xíbaju	хі́бамі xíbami
locative	хі́бе xíbje	хі́бах xíbax
count form	—	хі́бы1 xíby1

¹Used with the numbers 2, 3, 4 and higher numbers after 20 ending in 2, 3, and 4.

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [xʲiˈba]
• Rhymes: -a

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

Particle

хіба́ • (xibá)

1. perhaps, maybe

   Хіба́ то́лькі цуд мо́г яго́ вы́ратаваць.

   Xibá tólʹki cud móh jahó výratavacʹ.

   Perhaps only a miracle could save him.

   • 1924, Mikałaj Azbukin, Географія Эўропы, page 123:

     Маразы́ быва́юць хіба́ то́лькі ў го́рах, ...

     Marazý byvájucʹ xibá tólʹki ŭ hórax, ...

     Frosts occur maybe only in the mountains, ...

2. as if (something that the speaker deems highly unlikely), used to express strong doubt in something when asking a (possibly rhetorical) question

   Хіба́ ты не пла́ціш пада́ткі? ― Xibá ty nje pláciš padátki? ― You do pay taxes, don't you?

   Хіба́ ты ве́даеш? ― Xibá ty vjédaješ? ― As if you know.

   Хіба́ ты мо́жаш не́шта як след зрабі́ць? ― Xibá ty móžaš njéšta jak sljed zrabícʹ? ― Can't you do anything right?

Conjunction

хіба́ • (xibá)

1. unless
   • 1991, Алесь Гарун, Сэрцам пачуты звон: паэзія, проза, драматургія, публіцыстыка:

     Хіба́ сме́рць без ча́су нас з табо́й развя́жа.

     Xibá smjércʹ bjez čásu nas z tabój razvjáža.

     Unless an untimely death sets us apart.

References

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

Ukrainian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *xyba. Doublet of хи́ба (xýba).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [xʲiˈba]

• Audio:

  (file)

Particle

хіба́ • (xibá)

1. perhaps, maybe
2. really?, is it possible?, indeed

Conjunction

хіба́ • (xibá)

1. unless

References

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “хіба”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
• “хіба”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horokh – Inflection] (in Ukrainian)
• “хіба”, in Словник.ua [Slovnyk.ua] (in Ukrainian)