The verbal adverb (дієприслі́вник) is a verb form that behaves like an adverb: it does not describe a noun (that is the participle's job) but modifies the main verb, adding a second action performed by the same subject. English does this with "-ing" and "having -ed" phrases — "Walking home, I met a friend"; "Having read the letter, she went quiet." Ukrainian splits the verbal adverb by aspect. This page covers the imperfective one, in -чи / -ючи / -ачи, which expresses an action simultaneous with the main verb — "while doing." (Its perfective partner, the "having done" form, is on perfective verbal adverbs.) The form is alive and common in writing, with one strict condition you must internalize: it shares the main clause's subject.
Meaning: a simultaneous, background action
The imperfective verbal adverb sets up a second, ongoing action that runs at the same time as the main verb. It is the answer to "what was the subject also doing / while doing what?" The main verb is the foreground event; the verbal adverb is the simultaneous backdrop:
Ідучи́ додо́му, я зустрі́в ста́рого дру́га.
Walking home, I met an old friend. (ідучи́ — the simultaneous backdrop; зустрі́в is the main event. Same subject: I.)
Слу́хаючи му́зику, вона́ прибира́ла в кварти́рі.
Listening to music, she was tidying the flat. (слу́хаючи runs at the same time as прибира́ла.)
Він говори́в, не дивля́чись мені́ в о́чі.
He spoke without looking me in the eye. (не дивля́чись — a simultaneous negative verbal adverb: 'while not looking'.)
Because the action is simultaneous and unbounded, it is always built from the imperfective aspect (see imperfective meaning) — that is the aspect of an ongoing process. If the second action is completed before the main one ("having read"), you need the perfective form instead.
Formation: present stem + -чи / -ючи / -ачи
The imperfective verbal adverb is built on the present-tense stem — specifically the 3rd-person plural form minus its ending — plus -чи. In practice, take the вони́-form and swap the final -ть for -чи:
| Infinitive | 3pl present (вони́) | Verbal adverb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| чита́ти | чита́ють | чита́ючи | while reading |
| працюва́ти | працю́ють | працю́ючи | while working |
| іти́ | іду́ть | ідучи́ | while walking/going |
| говори́ти | говоря́ть | говоря́чи | while speaking |
| сиді́ти | сидя́ть | сидя́чи | while sitting |
| держа́ти | де́ржать | держа́чи | while holding |
The vowel before -чи simply mirrors the 3pl ending: first-conjugation -ють → -ючи (чита́ючи), first-conjugation -уть → -учи (ідучи́), second-conjugation -ять → -ячи (говоря́чи), -ать → -ачи (держа́чи). You do not memorize four suffixes — you reuse the present-tense vowel you already know.
Reflexive verbs: -чись (or -чися)
Reflexive verbs (those ending in -ся / -сь) keep the reflexive marker, which attaches as -сь (or fuller -ся) after the -чи:
| Infinitive | Verbal adverb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| усміха́тися | усміха́ючись | smiling |
| повертатися | поверта́ючись | (while) returning |
| сміятися | сміючи́сь | laughing |
| готуватися | готу́ючись | (while) preparing |
Усміха́ючись, вона́ простягну́ла мені́ ча́шку ка́ви.
Smiling, she handed me a cup of coffee. (усміха́ючись — reflexive verbal adverb, simultaneous with простягну́ла.)
Поверта́ючись із робо́ти, я за́вжди купу́ю хліб.
On my way back from work, I always buy bread. (поверта́ючись — habitual simultaneous action; same subject as купу́ю.)
The iron rule: same subject (no dangling verbal adverb)
This is the rule that makes or breaks the construction. The doer of the verbal adverb must be the subject of the main clause. A verbal adverb whose implied doer is not the main subject is a dangling modifier — exactly the error English teachers warn about ("Walking home, the rain started" — who was walking? not the rain).
Поверта́ючись додо́му, я потра́пив під дощ.
Returning home, I got caught in the rain. (Correct — the one returning AND the one caught are both 'I'.)
The next one is wrong, because the verbal adverb's doer (whoever is returning) is not the grammatical subject (дощ "the rain"):
❌ Поверта́ючись додо́му, поча́вся дощ.
Incorrect (dangling) — this literally says the rain was returning home. Fix it with a finite clause: Коли́ я поверта́вся додо́му, поча́вся дощ.
✅ Коли́ я поверта́вся додо́му, поча́вся дощ.
As I was returning home, it started to rain — a finite time-clause, because the subjects differ.
The cure for a dangling verbal adverb is always the same: if the two actions have different subjects, you cannot use a verbal adverb at all — unfold it into a finite clause with коли́ "when / while," бо "because," or я́кщо "if," whichever fits the relationship.
Гото́влячи вече́рю, я слу́хаю по́дкаст.
While making dinner, I listen to a podcast. (Same subject 'I' for both — a clean verbal adverb.)
Register and where it lives
The verbal adverb is alive and common, especially in writing — narrative prose, journalism, and considered speech. In very casual conversation a Ukrainian might often prefer a plain coordinate clause ("я йшов додо́му і зустрі́в дру́га"), but the verbal adverb is in no way bookish or archaic; it is the natural way to background one action under another. It is invariant — no agreement for gender, number, or case ever — which makes it mechanically easy once you have the form.
Чита́ючи цей лист, я не міг стри́мати сліз.
Reading this letter, I couldn't hold back tears. (чита́ючи — simultaneous, same subject, fully natural.)
More than "while": manner, cause, and condition
Although the core meaning is simultaneity, an imperfective verbal adverb often does extra work that the context pins down. Beyond "while doing," it can express the manner of the main action ("how"), its cause ("because / since"), or even a soft condition ("if / by doing"). The form does not change — the relationship is read off the meaning, exactly as in English "-ing" clauses.
Він відповіда́в, затина́ючись на ко́жному сло́ві.
He answered, stammering on every word. (manner — how he answered.)
Не зна́ючи мі́ста, ми пості́йно заблу́кували.
Not knowing the city, we kept getting lost. (cause — 'because we didn't know it'.)
Економля́чи на дрібни́цях, ти за рік відкла́деш непога́ну су́му.
By saving on small things, you'll put aside a decent sum over a year. (condition/means — 'if/by saving'.)
This flexibility is exactly why the form is so handy in writing: one tidy word folds a whole circumstantial clause (manner, cause, or means) under the main verb without a conjunction.
Verbs that resist the -чи form
Not every imperfective verb forms a comfortable verbal adverb. The construction is built on the present stem, so verbs whose present is awkward or which describe a punctual, momentary event don't take it well. A few groups to know:
- бу́ти ("to be") has the marginal бу́дучи "being," used almost only in fixed bookish turns (бу́дучи студе́нтом "being a student / as a student"); in ordinary speech you rephrase.
- Monosyllabic and irregular present stems (пи́ти, ши́ти, ли́ти) form -чи only with strain (п’ючи́, шию́чи) and are usually avoided in favour of a clause.
- Verbs of a single momentary act clash with the form's "ongoing" sense and naturally take the perfective verbal adverb instead.
Бу́дучи люди́ною неба́лакучою, він рі́дко пе́ршим почина́в розмо́ву.
Being a reserved person, he rarely started a conversation first. (бу́дучи — the one fixed verbal adverb of бу́ти, bookish but standard.)
When a verbal adverb feels forced, do not fight it — fall back on a coordinate clause (він сиді́в і дума́в) or a finite subordinate clause. Ukrainian never requires the verbal adverb; it is a stylistic compression you reach for when it reads cleanly.
Source-language comparison
For an English speaker, the imperfective verbal adverb maps almost perfectly onto the English present-participle adverbial clause: "Walking home, I…", "Listening to music, she…", "Without looking up, he…". The good news is that the same-subject constraint is identical to the English dangling-participle rule, so you already have the instinct — "Walking home, the rain started" is wrong in both languages for the same reason. The one new thing is aspect: English "walking" is aspectually neutral, but Ukrainian forces you to pick the imperfective -чи form for a simultaneous action and switch to the perfective -вши form for a prior one.
For a Russian speaker, this transfers directly — the -чи/-ючи деепричастие works the same way, with the same same-subject rule. Watch the surface forms (Ukrainian ідучи́, not Russian идя; чита́ючи matches) and remember Ukrainian's reflexive marker is -чись/-чися.
Common Mistakes
❌ Прочита́вши лист, я пла́кав го́дину. (perfective -вши for a simultaneous action)
If both happen at once use the imperfective -чи: Чита́ючи лист, я пла́кав. (Перфектив прочита́вши means 'after having read', a different time relation.)
✅ Чита́ючи лист, я пла́кав.
Reading the letter, I was crying — simultaneous, imperfective.
❌ Поверта́ючись додо́му, пішо́в си́льний дощ. (dangling — different subject)
Incorrect — the rain wasn't returning home. Use a finite clause: Коли́ я поверта́вся додо́му, пішо́в си́льний дощ.
✅ Коли́ я поверта́вся додо́му, пішо́в си́льний дощ.
As I was returning home, heavy rain started — finite clause for differing subjects.
❌ Чита́ча кни́жку, я роби́в нота́тки. (made-up form)
Incorrect form — from чита́ти the verbal adverb is чита́ючи: Чита́ючи кни́жку, я роби́в нота́тки.
✅ Чита́ючи кни́жку, я роби́в нота́тки.
Reading the book, I was taking notes.
❌ Усміха́ючи, вона́ підійшла́ до нас. (reflexive marker dropped)
Incorrect — усміха́тися is reflexive, so the verbal adverb keeps -сь: Усміха́ючись, вона́ підійшла́ до нас.
✅ Усміха́ючись, вона́ підійшла́ до нас.
Smiling, she came up to us — reflexive -чись.
Key Takeaways
- The imperfective verbal adverb (-чи/-ючи/-ачи) expresses an action simultaneous with the main verb — "while doing."
- Form it from the present stem: take the вони́-form, replace -ть with -чи (чита́ють → чита́ючи, говоря́ть → говоря́чи, іду́ть → ідучи́). Reflexives keep -чись (усміха́ючись).
- It is built on the present stem, so it is always imperfective — perfectives have no present and use the -вши form instead.
- It is invariant — no agreement, ever.
- Strict same-subject rule: the doer of the verbal adverb must be the main clause's subject. Different subjects = a dangling error; unfold it into a finite clause with коли́ (Коли́ я поверта́вся, пішо́в дощ).
- This is exactly the English dangling-participle rule, so anchor your instinct there.
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- Participles and Verbal Adverbs: OverviewB1 — A map of Ukrainian's non-finite verb forms — and a stylistic warning: Ukrainian uses them LESS than Russian, preferring relative clauses (який…). The forms: passive participles (-ний/-тий: напи́саний, відкри́тий), the discouraged active participles (-чий/-лий), the verbal adverb (дієприслі́вник: -чи чита́ючи 'while reading', -вши прочита́вши 'having read'), and the idiomatic -но/-то impersonal predicate (напи́сано, зро́блено 'it has been done').
- Verbal Adverbs: Perfective (-вши / -ши)B2 — The perfective verbal adverb (дієприслі́вник доко́наного ви́ду) is formed from the past/infinitive stem + -вши/-ши (прочита́вши 'having read', зроби́вши 'having done', прийшо́вши 'having arrived', сівши 'having sat down', прині́сши with a consonant stem + -ши). It expresses an action COMPLETED BEFORE the main verb, same subject: Прочита́вши кни́гу, він поверну́в її 'having read the book, he returned it'. Aspect sets the time relation: -вши perfective = prior action ('after / having done'); -ючи imperfective = simultaneous ('while doing'). The same-subject rule applies exactly as for the imperfective form.
- Present Tense: First ConjugationA1 — The first conjugation (пе́рша дієвідмі́на) takes the present endings -у/-ю, -еш/-єш, -е/-є, -емо/-ємо, -ете/-єте, -уть/-ють, built on the theme vowel -е-/-є- with a 3pl in -уть/-ють. Drill three models: vowel-stem чита́ти (чита́ю, чита́єш…), consonant-stem нести́ (несу́, несе́ш…), mutating писа́ти (пишу́, пи́шеш…), могти́ (можу́…), and the huge -увати/-ювати class (працюва́ти → працю́ю).
- What the Imperfective MeansA2 — The imperfective (недоко́наний вид) is the aspect of process, habit, simultaneity, and — crucially — of simply naming an activity without caring whether it finished: чита́ти, чита́ю, чита́в. It is the ONLY aspect with a real present, the default for repeated and backgrounded action, and the form Ukrainian uses to ask whether something was ever done at all (Ти диви́вся цей фільм? 'have you seen this film?').
- Participial and Verbal-Adverb PhrasesB2 — The syntax of reduced clauses — and the strong Ukrainian preference to rephrase them. Passive-participle phrases modify a noun and put the agent in the INSTRUMENTAL (кни́га, напи́сана відо́мим а́втором). Verbal-adverb phrases compress a same-subject clause: прочита́вши листа́, він запла́кав ('having read…', perfective -вши = prior action) and йду́чи додо́му, я ду́мав про це ('walking home…', imperfective -ючи = simultaneous). Both are ALWAYS set off by commas, and the verbal adverb MUST share the main clause's subject — no dangling. Good Ukrainian rewrites active participles (чита́ючий) as який-clauses.
- Compound and Complex SentencesA2 — How clauses join. A SIMPLE sentence is one clause; a COMPOUND sentence (складносуря́дне) links clauses of equal rank with і, а, але́, або́, та; a COMPLEX sentence (складнопідря́дне) hangs a subordinate clause off a main one with що, щоб, коли́, бо, якщо́, який. The comma before every subordinator and relativizer is OBLIGATORY — unlike English's optional 'that' — and the complement що is never dropped the way English drops it ('I know you're right' must be Я зна́ю, що ти ма́єш рацію).