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Questions & Answers about Мій телефон важливий.
What does Мій mean in this sentence?
Мій translates to my in English. It is a possessive pronoun that agrees with the noun it modifies, which in this case is телефон (phone).
Why is the adjective важливий in the masculine form here?
Важливий ends with -ий because it must agree with телефон, which is a masculine noun. If the noun were feminine or neuter, the adjective would take a different ending (e.g., важлива for feminine).
Why is there no linking verb (like "is") in the sentence?
In Ukrainian, the present tense of the verb to be (is/am/are) is typically omitted. Thus, the sentence Мій телефон важливий directly connects the subject with the predicate adjective without needing an equivalent of "is."
What grammatical case are the words in, and do they change their form in this sentence?
Both Мій and важливий are in the nominative case because they are directly linked to the subject телефон. In Ukrainian, adjectives and possessive pronouns must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case, and here they match the masculine singular form of телефон.
Is the word order in this Ukrainian sentence similar to that in English?
Yes, the word order in Мій телефон важливий is similar to English. It follows a Subject-Predicate adjective structure. However, Ukrainian word order is more flexible due to its case system, which allows for variations without changing the overall meaning.
How would the sentence change if I wanted to say “Your phone is important” instead?
To say “Your phone is important,” you would change the possessive pronoun to match your. For an informal singular context, you would say Твій телефон важливий. In a formal context or when addressing more than one person, you might use Ваш телефон важливий to maintain the appropriate level of politeness and agreement.