Петро стоїть біля річки.

Petro

Breakdown of Петро стоїть біля річки.

• річка: the river
• біля: by
• стояти: to stand

Questions & Answers about Петро стоїть біля річки.

What function does the preposition біля serve in this sentence?

The preposition біля means "near" or "beside" and shows spatial proximity. It connects the subject Петро to the location річки by indicating where he is standing. Additionally, біля requires the noun that follows it to be in the genitive case.

Why is the noun річки different from its base form річка?

In Ukrainian, prepositions like біля govern the genitive case. The noun річка becomes річки in the genitive, signaling possession or association—in this case, that Petro is standing near the river.

What does the verb стоїть tell us about the subject’s action?

Стоїть is the third person singular present form of the verb стояти, which means "to stand." It indicates that Petro is currently in the state of standing. The verb is in the imperfective aspect, emphasizing a current, ongoing state rather than a completed action.

How does the case system in Ukrainian affect the meaning and word order of this sentence?

Because Ukrainian uses a case system, the roles of words are clear regardless of their position in the sentence. Although Петро стоїть біля річки follows a subject-verb-prepositional phrase order, you could rearrange the elements without losing clarity since the case endings (like -и in річки) show each word’s grammatical role.

Can the word order of this sentence be altered without changing its meaning?

Yes, Ukrainian allows for flexible word order due to its use of cases. For example, placing біля річки at the beginning or end of the sentence may shift the emphasis but won’t change the overall meaning, as the case endings clearly indicate that it is a locative phrase describing where Petro stands.

What should I know about the treatment of proper names like Петро in Ukrainian?

Proper names such as Петро are usually presented in the nominative case when they function as the subject. While many Ukrainian nouns change form depending on their grammatical role, masculine proper names in the nominative tend to remain unchanged, making it easier for learners to recognize and use them correctly.