Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: У мене є собака.

It literally translates as “At me is dog”. In natural English, however, it conveys the meaning “I have a dog”. This word order reflects the Ukrainian way of expressing possession using an existential construction rather than a direct equivalent of the verb to have.

What is the role of the word є in this sentence?

Є is the third person singular form of the verb to be. In У мене є собака, it serves as an existential marker that links the possessor (У мене) with what is possessed (собака). Without є, the sentence would lack the necessary verb to indicate that the dog exists in the speaker’s possession.

Why is the possessor expressed as У мене instead of using a subject pronoun like я?

In Ukrainian, possession is typically expressed with the structure У [possessor] є [possessed]. The phrase У мене literally means “at me” and implies ownership. Unlike English, where the subject I is explicitly stated in I have a dog, Ukrainian embeds the idea of possession within the prepositional phrase, so the subject pronoun я is not directly used.

Why is the form мене used here, and what case does it represent?