Language/Ukrainian/Grammar/Prepositions
In this lesson, we will cover Ukrainian prepositions. Prepositions are words that describe the relationship between nouns and other words in a sentence. For example, they can indicate location, direction, time, or manner. In Ukrainian, prepositions usually come before the noun and are declined depending on the case of the noun they refer to.
Basic Prepositions
There are several basic prepositions in Ukrainian that you should learn first. These include:
| Ukrainian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| в | v | in, into |
| на | na | on, onto |
| при | pry | at, near, by |
| з | z | from, with |
| для | dlya | for, to |
| про | pro | about, on behalf of |
As you can see, the pronunciation of these prepositions is relatively straightforward. However, it's important to note that the letter з is pronounced as /z/ before vowels and as /s/ before consonants. For example, з України (z Ukrajiny) means "from Ukraine," while з мамою (s mamoyu) means "with mom."
Declension of Prepositions
Prepositions in Ukrainian are declined depending on the case of the noun they refer to. The case of the noun depends on its function in the sentence. For example, the subject of the sentence is in the nominative case, while the direct object is in the accusative case.
Here are the declensions for the basic prepositions we just covered:
в:
- В + nominative = він (vin) "he"
- В + accusative = воду (vodu) "water"
- В + genitive = від (+genitive) (vid) "from"
- В + dative = воді (vodi) "on (the) water"
- В + instrumental = водою (vodoyu) "with (the) water"
- В + locative = воді (vodi) "in (the) water"
на:
- На + nominative = нас (nas) "us"
- На + accusative = народ (narod) "people"
- На + genitive = на (+genitive) (na) "on"
- На + dative = насінням (nasinniam) "with (the) seed"
- На + instrumental = народом (narodom) "with (the) people"
- На + locative = насінні (nasinni) "on (the) seed"
при:
- При + nominative = приклад (prykład) "example"
- При + accusative = причину (prychynu) "cause"
- При + genitive = після (+genitive) (pislia) "after"
- При + dative = приладдям (pryladdiam) "with (the) device"
- При + instrumental = прикладом (prykładom) "with (the) example"
- При + locative = припарку (pryparku) "near (the) parking lot"
з:
- З + nominative = зона (zona) "zone"
- З + accusative = зоопарк (zoopark) "zoo"
- З + genitive = з (+genitive) (z) "from"
- З + dative = знакомимо (znakomýmo) "with (the) introduction"
- З + instrumental = зоопарком (zooparkom) "with (the) zoo"
- З + locative = змаганням (zmahaniam) "during (the) competition"
для:
- Для + nominative = для (dla) "for"
- Для + accusative = для (dla) "for"
- Для + genitive = для (+genitive) (dla) "for"
- Для + dative = для (dla) "to, for"
- Для + instrumental = для (dla) "for"
- Для + locative = для (+genitive) (dla) "for"
про:
- Про + nominative = проект (proekt) "project"
- Про + accusative = про (pro) "about"
- Про + genitive = про (+genitive) (pro) "about"
- Про + dative = проектам (proektam) "about (the) project"
- Про + instrumental = проектом (proektom) "about (the) project"
- Про + locative = про (pro) "on, over"
As you can see, the declension patterns for each preposition are unique. It's important to memorize these patterns so that you can use the correct preposition in each situation.
Practice Sentences
Here are some example sentences to practice using these prepositions:
- Я йду в кіно. (Ya ydu v kino.) - "I am going to the movies."
- Я чекаю на тебе. (Ya chekayu na tebe.) - "I am waiting for you."
- Я працюю при світлофорі. (Ya pratsyuyu pry svitlofori.) - "I work at a traffic light."
- Іван повернувся з відпустки. (Ivan povernuvsia z vidpustky.) - "Ivan returned from vacation."
- Я дякую для тебе. (Ya dyakuyu dla tebe.) - "I thank you for that."
- Ми говоримо про проблеми. (My hovorymo pro problemy.) - "We talk about problems."
Conclusion
In this lesson, we covered the basics of using prepositions in Ukrainian. We discussed several basic prepositions, their pronunciation, and declension patterns. We also provided some practice sentences to help you use prepositions correctly in context. Keep practicing and you'll be a pro at Ukrainian prepositions in no time!