Мій олівець гарний.

my

Breakdown of Мій олівець гарний.

• гарний: beautiful
• олівець: the pencil

Questions & Answers about Мій олівець гарний.

Why is there no word for "is" in the sentence?

In Ukrainian, the linking verb "to be" is typically omitted in the present tense. The sentence Мій олівець гарний. literally translates as "My pencil nice," with the implied verb understood from context.

How do the words agree in gender, number, and case?

Each word in the sentence matches in masculine singular nominative form. The possessive adjective Мій ("my") is masculine singular, олівець ("pencil") is also masculine singular, and the adjective гарний ("nice/beautiful") is in the masculine singular nominative, ensuring full grammatical agreement throughout.

Why is the possessive pronoun Мій placed before олівець, while the descriptive adjective гарний comes after it?

In Ukrainian, possessive adjectives like Мій typically precede the noun to clearly indicate ownership. The adjective гарний appears in the predicate position—following the noun—to describe a characteristic of the pencil. This order is common in simple descriptive sentences and reflects the way information is structured in Ukrainian.

Can the word order be changed, for example to Мій гарний олівець, without changing the meaning?

Yes, Ukrainian word order is relatively flexible. Saying Мій гарний олівець is also correct, but it may subtly shift the emphasis. Placing гарний before the noun highlights it as an inherent quality, whereas placing it after (with the implicit "is") stresses the state of the pencil. The context and intended emphasis usually determine the preferred order.

How would the adjective гарний change if the noun were feminine or neuter?

Adjectives in Ukrainian must agree with the noun they modify. For a feminine noun, гарний becomes гарна (e.g., Моя ручка гарна – "My pen is nice"). For a neuter noun, it changes to гарне (e.g., Моє вікно гарне – "My window is nice"). This system of agreement is a key aspect of Ukrainian grammar.