Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Я їм їжу.

Я is the subject pronoun meaning I. їм is the first person singular present form of the irregular verb їсти (“to eat”), and їжу is the direct object—specifically, the accusative singular form of the feminine noun їжа (“food”). Together, the sentence means I eat food.

Why is the noun їжа written as їжу in this sentence?

In Ukrainian, many feminine nouns ending in -а change to -у in the accusative singular when they serve as the direct object. Here, їжу is the accusative form of їжа, indicating that it is what is being eaten in the sentence.

Why might the verb form їм be confusing for learners, and how can they tell it’s a verb?

The form їм can be tricky because it looks identical to the dative plural pronoun (meaning “to them”) in Ukrainian. However, because it immediately follows the subject Я and appears in the position expected for a verb, context clues indicate that it is the irregular first person singular of the verb їсти (“to eat”).

What is special about the Ukrainian letter ї seen in both їм and їжу?