Скроня біля ока.

Скроня means temple: the side of the head between the forehead, the eye, and the ear.

It is:

• a feminine noun
• in the singular
• dictionary form: скроня

Because біля requires the genitive case.

The basic form is око (eye), but after біля it changes:

• око → nominative
• ока → genitive

So біля ока means near the eye.

Скроня is in the nominative singular.

In this sentence, it is the main noun being described. So structurally, it is the equivalent of the subject in English:

• Скроня = the temple
• біля ока = near the eye

Yes, біля normally takes the genitive.

Examples:

• біля ока = near the eye
• біля будинку = near the house
• біля вікна = near the window

So if you use біля, the following noun should usually be in the genitive.

In Ukrainian, the present-tense verb to be is often omitted.

So:

• Скроня біля ока.

literally looks like:

• Temple near eye.

but it means:

• The temple is near the eye.

This is very normal in Ukrainian.

The stress is:

• скро́ня бі́ля о́ка

A rough English-style approximation is:

• SKRO-nya BEE-lia OH-ka

A few pronunciation notes:

• я in скроня sounds like ya
• біля has a soft л
• ока has stress on the first syllable

It is understandable, but it sounds a bit like:

• a textbook sentence
• a label
• a very simple anatomical description

In more natural speech, someone might say:

• Скроня — це частина голови біля ока. = The temple is a part of the head near the eye.
• Скроня розташована біля ока. = The temple is located near the eye.

So the given sentence is fine for learning basic structure, but it is not very conversational.

Yes, Ukrainian word order is more flexible than English.

The neutral order here is:

• Скроня біля ока.

You could also say:

• Біля ока скроня.

but that sounds more marked and would usually need a special context or emphasis.

For a learner, Скроня біля ока is the safest version.

They are similar, but not identical.

• біля = near, by
• коло = near, by; often very close in meaning to біля
• поруч з = next to, beside

Important grammar difference:

• біля
  • genitive
• коло
  • genitive
• поруч з
  • instrumental

So:

• біля ока
• коло ока
• поруч з оком

All can relate to closeness, but the grammar after them changes.

Ukrainian has no articles like English the and a/an.

So Скроня біля ока can be understood from context. In English, you must choose:

• The temple is near the eye
• sometimes A temple is near an eye

But in Ukrainian, definiteness is usually understood from the situation, context, or general meaning.

Here, ока is singular genitive, from око.

That can be confusing because forms ending in -а sometimes look plural to English speakers. But here it means:

• око = eye
• ока = of the eye / near the eye

So біля ока refers to one eye, not eyes.