Лікар торкнувся вилиці.

The doctor touched the cheekbone.

Breakdown of Лікар торкнувся вилиці.

• лікар: the doctor
• торкатися: to touch
• вилиця: the cheekbone

Questions & Answers about Лікар торкнувся вилиці.

Why is the verb торкнувся and not just торкнув?

Because the verb here is торкнутися, which normally includes -ся as part of the verb.

• торкнутися = to touch
• past masculine singular: торкнувся

So -ся is not optional here. In this verb, it is simply part of the standard dictionary form. A learner should memorize торкнутися as a whole verb.

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Why is it вилиці, not вилицю?

Because торкнутися takes the genitive case, not the accusative.

• nominative: вилиця
• genitive singular: вилиці

So:

• Лікар торкнувся вилиці. = The doctor touched the cheekbone.

This is a very common pattern in Ukrainian:

• торкнутися чого? = to touch what? → genitive

That is why вилицю would sound wrong here.

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Is вилиці singular or plural here?