Блискавка й ґудзик нові.

The zipper and garment button are new.

Breakdown of Блискавка й ґудзик нові.

• новий: new
• й: and
• блискавка: the zipper
• ґудзик: the garment button

Questions & Answers about Блискавка й ґудзик нові.

Why isn’t there a word for are in this sentence?

In the present tense, Ukrainian usually leaves out the verb to be. So Блискавка й ґудзик нові literally looks like Zipper and button new, but it means The zipper and the button are new.

This is very normal in Ukrainian.

Why is нові plural if блискавка and ґудзик are each singular?

Because together they make a compound subject: the zipper and the button. Since there are two things, Ukrainian uses the plural adjective нові.

Compare:

• Блискавка нова = The zipper is new.
• Ґудзик новий = The button is new.
• Блискавка й ґудзик нові = The zipper and the button are new.

What genders are блискавка and ґудзик?

• блискавка is feminine
• ґудзик is masculine

That is why, when they are singular, you get:

• нова блискавка
• новий ґудзик

But when they are joined together, the predicate adjective becomes plural: нові.

Why does it use instead of for ?