The BGN/PCGN romanization system for Belarusian is a method for romanization of Cyrillic Belarusian texts, that is, their transliteration into the Latin alphabet.
There are a number of systems for romanization of Belarusian, but the BGN/PCGN system is relatively intuitive for anglophones to pronounce. It is part of the larger set of BGN/PCGN romanizations, which includes methods for 29 different languages. It was developed by the United States Board on Geographic Names and by the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use. The portion of the system pertaining to the Belarusian language was jointly adopted by BGN and PCGN in 1979.
This romanization of Belarusian can be rendered by using only the basic letters and punctuation found on English-language keyboards: no diacritics or unusual letters are required, but the interpunct character (·) is optionally used to avoid some ambiguity.
The following table describes the system and provides examples.
| Belarusian letter |
Romanization | Special provision | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| А (а) | A (a) | None | Антон = Anton Вілейка = Vilyeyka |
| Б (б) | B (b) | None | Брэст = Brest Дубна = Dubna |
| В (в) | V (v) | None | Віцебск = Vitsyebsk Асіповічы = Asipovichy |
| Г (г) | H (h) | None | Гродна = Hrodna Брагін = Brahin |
| Д (д) | D (d) | None | Добруш = Dobrush Ліда = Lida |
| Е (е) | Ye (ye) | None | Гомель = Homyel’ Беліца = Byelitsa |
| Ё (ё) | Yo (yo) | None | Ёдкавічы = Yodkavichy Нёман = Nyoman |
| Ж (ж) | Zh (zh) | None | Жлобін = Zhlobin Ружаны = Ruzhany |
| З (з) | Z (z) | None | Зоя = Zoya князь = knyaz’ |
| І (і) | I (i) | None | Ігнат = Ihnat Мінск = Minsk |
| Й (й) | Y (y) | Belarusian names do not normally begin with this letter. This may happen in Belarusian renderings of foreign names, though. | Йосель = Yosyel’ Койданава = Koydanava |
| К (к) | K (k) | None | Крапіўна = Krapiwna Менск = Myensk |
| Л (л) | L (l) | None | Лаўна = Lawna Лёсік = Lyosik Купала = Kupala Вілейка = Vilyeyka Міхал = Mikhal Вільня = Vil’nya Лепель = Lyepyel’ |
| М (м) | M (m) | None | Магілёў = Mahilyow Няміга = Nyamiha |
| Н (н) | N (n) | None | Наваградак = Navahradak Баранавічы = Baranavichy |
| О (о) | O (o) | None | Орша = Orsha Востраў = Vostraw |
| П (п) | P (p) | None | Пінск = Pinsk Дняпро = Dnyapro |
| Р (р) | R (r) | None | Рагачоў = Rahachow Сураж = Surazh |
| С (с) | S (s) | None | Смаляны = Smalyany Арэса = Aresa Рось = Ros’ |
| Т (т) | T (t) | None | Талочын = Talochyn Масты = Masty |
| У (у) | U (u) | None | Уладзімір = Uladzimir Бабруйск = Babruysk |
| Ў (ў) | W (w) | None | Быхаў = Bykhaw Воўпа = Vowpa Іўе = Iwye |
| Ф (ф) | F (f) | None | Фолюш = Folyush фортка = fortka |
| Х (х) | Kh (kh) | None | Хатынь = Khatyn’ Быхаў = Bykhaw |
| Ц (ц) | Ts (ts) | None | Ганцавічы = Hantsavichy Стоўбцы = Stowbtsy цьмяны = ts’myany мясцовы = myastsovy Астравец = Astravyets Прыпяць = Prypyats’ |
| Ч (ч) | Ch (ch) | None | Чэрыкаў = Cherykaw Шчара = Shchara Нарач = Narach |
| Ш (ш) | Sh (sh) | None | Шклоў = Shklow Ашмяны = Ashmyany |
| Ы (ы) | Y (y) | Belarusian names do not normally begin with this letter. It may happen in Belarusian renderings of foreign names. | Ыттык-Кёль = Yttyk-Kyol’ Кобрын = Kobryn Солы = Soly |
| Ь (ь) | ’ | This character does not occur in the beginning of a word. | Копысь = Kopys’ рунь = run’ |
| Э (э) | E (e) | None | Эйсманты = Eysmanty Крэва = Kreva |
| Ю (ю) | Yu (yu) | None | Юры = Yury уюн = uyun |
| Я (я) | Ya (ya) | None | Язэп = Yazep Івянец = Ivyanyets |
| ’ | ’’ | This symbol denotes the absence of palatalization and is not a part of the standard alphabet. | з’езд = z’’yezd |
| Зг (зг) | Z∙h (z∙h) | The use of this digraph is optional. | |
| Кг (кг) | K∙h (k∙h) | The use of this digraph is optional. | |
| Сг (сг) | S∙h (s∙h) | The use of this digraph is optional. | |
| Тс (тс) | T∙s (t∙s) | The use of this digraph is optional. | |
| Цг (цг) | ts∙h (ts∙h) | The use of this digraph is optional. | |
| Ґ (ґ) | G (g) | This character is obsolete. |