Я вечеряю в ресторані.

I have dinner at the restaurant.

Breakdown of Я вечеряю в ресторані.

• я: I
• вечеряти: to have dinner
• в: in
• ресторан: the restaurant

Questions & Answers about Я вечеряю в ресторані.

What does Я вечеряю в ресторані mean in English?

It means I have dinner at a restaurant. Although the meaning is provided, it helps to know that вечеряю is the first-person singular present tense of the verb вечеряти (to have dinner), and в ресторані indicates the location (in a restaurant) using the locative case.

What is the infinitive form of вечеряю and how is it conjugated?

The infinitive is вечеряти. In this sentence, it is conjugated into the first-person singular present form as вечеряю, showing that the speaker (“Я” meaning “I”) is performing the action of having dinner.

How does the prepositional phrase в ресторані function in the sentence?

The phrase в ресторані expresses location. The preposition в means “in,” and ресторані is the locative case form of ресторан (restaurant). Ukrainian uses the locative case after certain prepositions to indicate where an action takes place.

Why is the preposition в used here instead of у?

Both в and у mean “in” in Ukrainian. The choice usually depends on phonetic context—в is typically used before words that begin with a consonant. Since ресторан starts with the consonant р, в is the preferred preposition.

Is the word order in this sentence fixed, or can it be rearranged?

Ukrainian has a flexible word order due to its rich system of cases. While the standard order is Subject-Verb-Location (as in Я вечеряю в ресторані), you can rearrange the elements for emphasis or stylistic reasons without changing the overall meaning.

How would you form the negative version of this sentence?

To negate the sentence, simply insert the particle не before the verb. The negative form would be Я не вечеряю в ресторані, which translates to I do not have dinner at a restaurant.

Are there similar verbs for other meals in Ukrainian?

Yes, there are. For example, снідати means “to have breakfast” (Я снідаю) and обідати means “to have lunch” (Я обідаю). These verbs follow a similar conjugation pattern as вечеряти, making it easier to learn them once you understand one.