Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Я рідко відвідую кав'ярню біля офісу. - I rarely visit the coffee shop near the office.

The verb відвідую means “I visit” and is the first person singular present tense form deriving from the imperfective verb відвідувати. The imperfective aspect is used here because it describes a habitual or repeated action—even if that action happens infrequently, as indicated by the adverb рідко.

How does the adverb рідко work in this sentence, and is its placement fixed?

The adverb рідко translates as “rarely” and is placed immediately after the subject Я to modify the verb відвідую, clarifying that the action of visiting occurs infrequently. While this is a common placement, Ukrainian word order is fairly flexible, so the adverb can sometimes be shifted for emphasis without altering the overall meaning.

Why is кав'ярню in its particular form, and what case is it in?

Кав'ярню is in the accusative case because it serves as the direct object of the verb відвідую. In Ukrainian, when a noun is the object of an action like “visit,” it typically appears in the accusative. Note that for many feminine nouns, the accusative form differs from the nominative form.

What role does the phrase біля офісу play in the sentence, and what case is used for офісу?

The phrase біля офісу means “near the office.” The preposition біля requires that the noun following it be in the genitive case. Therefore, офісу is the genitive form of офіс, indicating the location relative to which the visit occurs.

How does the verb ending in відвідую confirm who is performing the action?

The ending -ю in відвідую marks the verb as first person singular. This conjugation makes it clear that the action is being performed by Я (“I”), letting the listener or reader know who the subject of the sentence is.

Can the word order in this sentence be changed, and if so, how might that affect the emphasis of the sentence?

Yes, Ukrainian allows for a flexible word order. Although Я рідко відвідую кав'ярню біля офісу follows a natural subject–adverb–verb–object–location pattern, rearranging the elements can shift the emphasis. For example, placing кав'ярню at the beginning—such as Кав'ярню я рідко відвідую біля офісу—might place more focus on the cafe itself.