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Questions & Answers about Стіл гарний.
What is the literal translation of Стіл гарний?
Стіл translates as table and гарний translates as nice or beautiful. So, the sentence means "The table is nice." Note that the linking verb (is) is omitted, which is typical in Ukrainian present-tense statements.
Why is there no explicit verb like "is" in this sentence?
Ukrainian, like many other Slavic languages, often omits the copula in the present tense. This zero-copula construction means that the verb to be is understood rather than stated, allowing the sentence to remain concise.
How does adjective agreement work in Стіл гарний?
In this sentence, the adjective гарний is in the masculine, nominative singular form. It agrees with the noun стіл, which is also masculine, singular, and in the nominative case. In Ukrainian, adjectives must match the gender, number, and case of the nouns they describe.
Can the word order be changed without altering the meaning?
Yes, Ukrainian allows flexibility in word order due to its case system. For example, you can say Гарний стіл to emphasize the beauty first or to fit a different stylistic context. However, both orders express that the table is nice.
How can you form the negative version of this sentence?
To form the negative sentence, you insert the negative particle не before the adjective. The negative version becomes Стіл не гарний, which translates to "The table is not nice."