Infinitive (imperfective): лама́ти — "to break, to snap, to smash, to fracture" Perfective partner: злама́ти — "to break (once, completely)" Type: a fully regular first-conjugation verb (-а́ти / -а́ю); takes a direct accusative object
лама́ти / злама́ти is the everyday verb for breaking something — snapping a branch, cracking a phone screen, fracturing an arm, smashing a toy. It is one of the easier verbs to conjugate (regular first-conjugation throughout, stem-stressed on -ма́-), so the real learning is in its grammar of meaning. The big point is the split English hides: лама́ти (transitive) needs an accusative object — you break something — while the reflexive лама́тися / злама́тися is intransitive — something breaks (by itself). Машина зламала is wrong; Машина злама́лася "the car broke down" is right. Ukrainian forces the -ся when there's no external breaker. Stress is marked on every form below.
Present tense — лама́ю / лама́єш…
лама́ти is a textbook-regular first-conjugation verb off the лама-stem with j-glide endings, stem-stressed on -ма́- throughout. There are no irregularities and no consonant mutation.
| Person | лама́ти — PRESENT | English |
|---|---|---|
| я | лама́ю | I break |
| ти | лама́єш | you break (sg.) |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | лама́є | he / she / it breaks |
| ми | лама́ємо | we break |
| ви | лама́єте | you break (pl./formal) |
| вони́ | лама́ють | they break |
The imperfective лама́ти frames breaking as a process or a repeated action — what is happening, or what tends to happen.
Не лама́й гі́лку — на ній ще ли́стя.
Don't break the branch — there are still leaves on it. (Imperative лама́й + accusative гі́лку.)
Ді́ти за́вжди лама́ють найдоро́жчі і́грашки пе́ршими.
Kids always break the most expensive toys first. (Habitual лама́ють + accusative і́грашки.)
Past tense — лама́в (impf) vs злама́в (pf)
Both pasts are regular and stem-stressed on -ма́-: лама́в, лама́ла, лама́ло, лама́ли; perfective злама́в, злама́ла, etc.
| Gender / number | лама́ти (impf) | злама́ти (pf) |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | лама́в | злама́в |
| feminine | лама́ла | злама́ла |
| neuter | лама́ло | злама́ло |
| plural | лама́ли | злама́ли |
Imperfective лама́в = "was breaking / used to break" (process or repetition); perfective злама́в = "broke (and it's done, with a result)." A single accidental break is the perfective: Я злама́в окуля́ри "I broke my glasses."
Я нена́роком злама́в ключ у замку́.
I accidentally broke the key in the lock. (Perfective злама́в — one completed break, a result.)
Він наві́щось лама́в олівці́ оди́н за о́дним.
For some reason he kept breaking pencils one after another. (Imperfective лама́в — a repeated action.)
Future tense
Perfective злама́ти — the simple future
The present-form of the perfective is its future: злама́ю "I'll break," stem-stressed like the base verb.
| Person | злама́ти — FUTURE | English |
|---|---|---|
| я | злама́ю | I'll break |
| ти | злама́єш | you'll break |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | злама́є | he / she / it will break |
| ми | злама́ємо | we'll break |
| ви | злама́єте | you'll break |
| вони́ | злама́ють | they'll break |
Обере́жно, ти злама́єш стіле́ць, якщо́ хита́тимешся.
Careful, you'll break the chair if you keep rocking on it. (Perfective future злама́єш + accusative стіле́ць.)
Imperfective лама́ти — both compound futures
The imperfective forms its future analytically (бу́ду + infinitive) or synthetically (the -му form), for a repeated or ongoing future breaking.
| Person | Analytic (бу́ду + inf.) | Synthetic (-му) |
|---|---|---|
| я | бу́ду лама́ти | лама́тиму |
| ти | бу́деш лама́ти | лама́тимеш |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | бу́де лама́ти | лама́тиме |
| ми | бу́демо лама́ти | лама́тимемо |
| ви | бу́дете лама́ти | лама́тимете |
| вони́ | бу́дуть лама́ти | лама́тимуть |
Без потрі́бних і́нструментів ти ті́льки лама́тимеш замки́, а не відкрива́тимеш їх.
Without the right tools you'll just keep breaking the locks instead of opening them. (Imperfective future лама́тимеш — a repeated future action.)
Imperative
The imperative is лама́й (2sg) / лама́йте (2pl/formal), perfective злама́й / злама́йте. As with most "destructive" verbs, it shows up mostly negated: Не лама́й! "Don't break it!"
| Addressee | лама́ти (impf) | злама́ти (pf) |
|---|---|---|
| ти (informal) | лама́й | злама́й |
| ви (formal / plural) | лама́йте | злама́йте |
| 3rd person (let…) | хай / неха́й лама́є | хай / неха́й злама́є |
Не лама́йте гі́лки в па́рку — це штраф.
Don't break the branches in the park — it's a fine. (Negated imperative лама́йте + accusative гі́лки.)
Participles and verbal adverbs
| Form | лама́ти / злама́ти |
|---|---|
| past passive participle (pf) | зла́маний "broken" |
| impersonal predicative | зла́мано "(it has been) broken" |
| imperfective verbal adverb | лама́ючи "(while) breaking" |
| perfective verbal adverb | злама́вши "having broken" |
The participle зла́маний "broken" is everyday and high-frequency: зла́маний телефо́н "a broken phone," зла́мана нога́ "a broken leg," зла́мана люди́на (figuratively) "a broken person." Note the stress retracts to зла́- in the participle (зла́маний), unlike the verb's -ма́-. The verbal adverbs are (literary / written).
Він до́вгі ро́ки носи́в зла́маний годи́нник ба́тька — як спо́гад.
For years he wore his father's broken watch — as a keepsake. (Participle зла́маний modifying годи́нник.)
Government and meaning
1. Transitive лама́ти + accusative
In its core sense лама́ти takes a direct accusative object — the thing broken: лама́ти гі́лку, злама́ти ру́ку, злама́ти і́грашку. There is no preposition; the breaker is the subject, the broken thing the object. See accusative uses.
Він упа́в з велосипе́да і злама́в ру́ку.
He fell off his bike and broke his arm. (злама́в + accusative ру́ку.)
2. Reflexive лама́тися / злама́тися — break by itself
When nothing external does the breaking — a machine fails, a thing snaps on its own — Ukrainian adds -ся: лама́тися / злама́тися "to break (down), to stop working." This is the anticausative use of -ся: it removes the agent. Маши́на злама́лася "the car broke down" (no one broke it), Ли́жва злама́лася "the ski snapped." Compare the transitive Я злама́в маши́ну "I broke the car (deliberately/clumsily)." See the meanings of -ся.
Пра́льна маши́на знов злама́лася — тре́ба ви́кликати ма́йстра.
The washing machine has broken down again — we need to call a repairman. (Reflexive злама́лася — no external breaker.)
Ли́жва злама́лася посере́д спу́ску, і він мало не впав.
The ski snapped halfway down the slope, and he almost fell. (Reflexive злама́лася — the thing broke on its own.)
3. Figurative лама́ти го́лову and other idioms
лама́ти feeds vivid set phrases: лама́ти го́лову (над чимо́сь) "rack one's brains (over something)," лама́ти ру́ки "wring one's hands (in despair)," лама́ти ха́рактер / во́лю "break someone's character / will," лама́ти стереоти́пи "break stereotypes." In лама́ти го́лову the head isn't literally breaking — it's the strain of hard thinking.
Я вже ти́ждень лама́ю го́лову над ціє́ю зада́чею і не мо́жу її́ розв’яза́ти.
I've been racking my brains over this problem for a week and can't solve it. (Idiom лама́ти го́лову над + instrumental.)
Common Mistakes
❌ Маши́на злама́ла вчо́ра.
Missing -ся — when a thing breaks on its OWN, you need the reflexive: Маши́на злама́лася вчо́ра ('the car broke down yesterday'). Without -ся the sentence says the car broke something else.
✅ Маши́на злама́лася вчо́ра.
The car broke down yesterday.
❌ Я злама́вся свій телефо́н.
Wrong -ся — when YOU break an object, the verb is transitive, no -ся: Я злама́в свій телефо́н ('I broke my phone'). The -ся would mean you yourself broke.
✅ Я злама́в свій телефо́н.
I broke my phone.
❌ Я лама́в ру́ку мину́лого ти́жня.
Aspect error — a single completed break is perfective злама́в, not imperfective лама́в (which means a repeated or ongoing breaking): Я злама́в ру́ку мину́лого ти́жня.
✅ Я злама́в ру́ку мину́лого ти́жня.
I broke my arm last week.
❌ Не лама́й над цим го́лову.
Idiom word order / case — the fixed phrase is лама́ти го́лову над + instrumental: Не лама́й го́лову над цим. The object го́лову comes right after the verb.
✅ Не лама́й го́лову над цим.
Don't rack your brains over this.
❌ Телефо́н зла́мав і не вмика́ється.
A device that fails on its own is reflexive: Телефо́н злама́вся і не вмика́ється. Without -ся it claims the phone broke something.
✅ Телефо́н злама́вся і не вмика́ється.
The phone broke and won't turn on.
Key Takeaways
- лама́ти + accusative = break something (transitive); лама́тися / злама́тися (with -ся) = break by itself / break down (intransitive). The -ся is obligatory when there's no breaker.
- Present: лама́ю / лама́єш / лама́є / лама́ємо / лама́єте / лама́ють — fully regular, stem-stressed.
- Past: лама́в / лама́ла; perfective злама́в "broke (done)."
- Future: perfective злама́ю "I'll break"; imperfective бу́ду лама́ти / лама́тиму.
- The participle зла́маний "broken" is everyday (зла́маний телефо́н); note the stress shifts to зла́-.
- Figurative лама́ти го́лову над + instrumental = "rack one's brains over."
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