Infinitive (imperfective): сні́дати — "to have breakfast, to eat breakfast" Perfective partner: посні́дати — "to have (finished) breakfast" Type: a regular first-conjugation -ати verb; the perfective is built with the prefix по-
сні́дати is one of three everyday meal verbs that every learner needs early: сні́дати "have breakfast," обі́дати "have lunch," вече́ряти "have dinner / supper." Where English uses a colourless verb plus a noun ("have breakfast," "eat lunch"), Ukrainian has a dedicated single verb for each meal — a tidy, high-frequency set. сні́дати is grammatically simple: it is a fully regular first-conjugation verb with fixed stress on the first syllable сні́- that never moves, and its perfective посні́дати just adds по- without disturbing anything. The one nuance worth knowing is that what you eat for breakfast can go straight into the instrumental (сні́дати ка́шею "have porridge for breakfast"). Stress is marked on every form.
Present tense — first conjugation (imperfective сні́дати)
The imperfective сні́дати is first conjugation on the stem сні́да-, with the -ю / -єш / -є / -ємо / -єте / -ють endings. Stress is fixed on сні́- throughout.
| Person | сні́дати — PRESENT | English |
|---|---|---|
| я | сні́даю | I have breakfast |
| ти | сні́даєш | you have breakfast (sg.) |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | сні́дає | he / she / it has breakfast |
| ми | сні́даємо | we have breakfast |
| ви | сні́даєте | you have breakfast (pl./formal) |
| вони́ | сні́дають | they have breakfast |
This is the form for habits ("I always have breakfast at eight") and for the action in progress ("they're having breakfast right now"). There is no consonant mutation anywhere — сні́да- stays put — so the 1sg сні́даю is fully regular, unlike some first-conjugation verbs that mutate.
Я зазвича́й сні́даю о пів на во́сьму.
I usually have breakfast at half past seven. (1sg сні́даю; habitual.)
Чому́ ти не сні́даєш? Так не мо́жна — це шкідли́во.
Why don't you have breakfast? You shouldn't — it's bad for you. (2sg сні́даєш.)
Вони́ сні́дають уде́нь, бо вста́ють пі́зно.
They have breakfast in the afternoon because they get up late. (3pl сні́дають.)
Perfective future — present-form = future (посні́дати)
The perfective посні́дати has no present meaning; its present-form set is its simple future "will have breakfast (and be done)." It just adds the prefix по- to the same regular endings, keeping the сні́- stress.
| Person | посні́дати — FUTURE | English |
|---|---|---|
| я | посні́даю | I'll have breakfast |
| ти | посні́даєш | you'll have breakfast |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | посні́дає | he / she / it will |
| ми | посні́даємо | we'll have breakfast |
| ви | посні́даєте | you'll have breakfast |
| вони́ | посні́дають | they'll have breakfast |
Use the perfective посні́дати for a single, completed breakfast — especially one you finish before doing the next thing: Посні́даю і пі́ду "I'll have breakfast and then go." This is the regular aspect contrast.
Я шви́дко посні́даю й побіжу́ на пари́.
I'll have a quick breakfast and run off to class. (Perfective future посні́даю — one finished act before the next.)
Як посні́даєш, ви́неси, будь ла́ска, сміття́.
When you've had breakfast, take out the rubbish, please. (Perfective посні́даєш — completion before the next action.)
Imperfective futures — both ways (бу́ду сні́дати / сні́датиму)
The imperfective сні́дати forms the two compound futures — analytic (бу́ду + infinitive) and synthetic (-му) — for habitual or ongoing future breakfasting.
| Person | Analytic (бу́ду + inf.) | Synthetic (-му) |
|---|---|---|
| я | бу́ду сні́дати | сні́датиму |
| ти | бу́деш сні́дати | сні́датимеш |
| він / вона́ / воно́ | бу́де сні́дати | сні́датиме |
| ми | бу́демо сні́дати | сні́датимемо |
| ви | бу́дете сні́дати | сні́датимете |
| вони́ | бу́дуть сні́дати | сні́датимуть |
Тепе́р я щора́нку бу́ду сні́дати вдо́ма, а не на робо́ті.
From now on I'll have breakfast at home every morning, not at work. (Imperfective future — a new habit.)
Past tense — gendered (сні́дав / сні́дала)
A regular gendered past off the сні́да- stem, fixed stress on сні́-. The perfective посні́дав adds по-.
| Gender / number | сні́дати (impf) | посні́дати (pf) |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | сні́дав | посні́дав |
| feminine | сні́дала | посні́дала |
| neuter | сні́дало | посні́дало |
| plural | сні́дали | посні́дали |
The imperfective past сні́дав reads "used to have breakfast / was having breakfast" (habit or process); the perfective посні́дав marks the finished meal. Match the gender: a woman says я сні́дала, a man я сні́дав.
Ра́ніше я ніко́ли не сні́дав, а тепе́р не мо́жу без цьо́го.
I never used to have breakfast, and now I can't do without it. (Imperfective past сні́дав — a former habit.)
Вона́ вже посні́дала й пішла́ на робо́ту.
She's already had breakfast and gone to work. (Perfective past посні́дала — the finished meal.)
Imperative
| Addressee | сні́дати (impf) | посні́дати (pf) |
|---|---|---|
| ти (informal) | сні́дай | посні́дай |
| ви (formal / plural) | сні́дайте | посні́дайте |
| 3rd person (let…) | хай / неха́й сні́дає | хай / неха́й посні́дає |
The perfective посні́дай is the natural "have breakfast (and be done)!" you press on someone before they leave; the imperfective сні́дай is a gentler "do have breakfast / start eating."
Посні́дай як слід — у те́бе важки́й день.
Have a proper breakfast — you've got a hard day ahead. (Perfective imperative посні́дай.)
Participles and verbal adverbs
| Form | сні́дати / посні́дати |
|---|---|
| imperfective verbal adverb | сні́даючи "(while) having breakfast" |
| perfective verbal adverb | посні́давши "having had breakfast" |
| related noun | сніда́нок "breakfast" (gen. сніда́нку — fleeting о) |
The noun сніда́нок "breakfast" has a fleeting (mobile) о that drops in the oblique cases: nominative сніда́нок, but genitive сніда́нку, "without breakfast" = без сніда́нку. The verbal adverb посні́давши sets up a following action: Посні́давши, він ви́йшов "Having had breakfast, he went out."
Він ви́скочив з ха́ти без сніда́нку — зно́ву проспа́в.
He dashed out of the house without breakfast — he overslept again. (Noun сніда́нок with the fleeting о dropped: без сніда́нку.)
Key uses & case government
1. сні́дати — intransitive "have breakfast"
In its core use the verb is intransitive — it needs no object: Я сні́даю "I'm having breakfast." Add a time (о во́сьмій "at eight"), a place (на ку́хні "in the kitchen"), but no direct object is required.
Ми лю́бимо сні́дати на балко́ні, коли́ те́пло.
We like having breakfast on the balcony when it's warm. (Intransitive — no object.)
2. сні́дати + instrumental — what you have for breakfast
To name the dish you breakfast on, Ukrainian uses the bare instrumental — the case of "by means of": сні́дати ка́шею "have porridge for breakfast," сні́дати яє́чнею "have scrambled eggs." No preposition. This is a small but very Ukrainian pattern; English needs "have X for breakfast." (You can also just say сні́дати and name the food separately, or use the verb ї́сти на сніда́нок "eat for breakfast.") See the instrumental uses and the case-government of verbs.
Сього́дні ми сні́даємо ка́шею з я́годами.
Today we're having porridge with berries for breakfast. (сні́дати + instrumental ка́шею.)
Common Mistakes
❌ Я ма́ю сніда́нок о во́сьмій.
Don't translate 'have breakfast' literally with ма́ти + noun. Use the single verb: Я сні́даю о во́сьмій.
✅ Я сні́даю о во́сьмій.
I have breakfast at eight.
❌ Сього́дні я сні́даю ка́шу.
Case error — what you eat FOR breakfast goes in the bare INSTRUMENTAL: сні́дати ка́шею, not the accusative ка́шу.
✅ Сього́дні я сні́даю ка́шею.
Today I'm having porridge for breakfast.
❌ Я шви́дко бу́ду сні́дати й побіжу́.
Aspect error — for a single completed breakfast before the next action, use the perfective future посні́даю, not the imperfective бу́ду сні́дати.
✅ Я шви́дко посні́даю й побіжу́.
I'll have a quick breakfast and run off.
❌ Вона́ сні́дав і пішла́.
Agreement error — the past agrees with gender; a female subject takes сні́дала: Вона́ посні́дала і пішла́.
✅ Вона́ посні́дала і пішла́.
She had breakfast and left.
❌ Ми сні́даємося ра́зом щора́нку.
No -ся here — сні́дати is NOT reflexive. English speakers over-add -ся to daily-routine verbs; just say сні́даємо.
✅ Ми сні́даємо ра́зом щора́нку.
We have breakfast together every morning.
Key Takeaways
- сні́дати is a real verb, not ма́ти + noun — "have breakfast" = сні́дати, full stop.
- Fully regular, fixed сні́- stress — no consonant mutation, no stress swing, no -ся.
- Present (impf): сні́даю / сні́даєш / сні́дає / сні́даємо / сні́даєте / сні́дають; future (pf): посні́даю / посні́даєш…
- Past: сні́дав / сні́дала… (impf) and посні́дав / посні́дала… (pf) — agree with gender.
- Government: intransitive, but the instrumental names what you eat (сні́дати ка́шею).
- The noun сніда́нок has a fleeting о: gen. сніда́нку (без сніда́нку "without breakfast").
- One of the meal trio with обі́дати / вече́ряти.
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