У відпустці я бачу високу гору.

On vacation, I see a tall mountain.

Breakdown of У відпустці я бачу високу гору.

• я: I
• у: in
• відпустка: the vacation
• бачити: to see
• високий: tall
• гора: the mountain

Questions & Answers about У відпустці я бачу високу гору.

What role does the prepositional phrase У відпустці play in the sentence?

У відпустці translates to “on vacation” and functions as an adverbial modifier, establishing the setting or time frame during which the action occurs. The preposition у governs the locative case, and відпустці is the locative singular form of відпустка.

Why is the adjective in високу гору in the form високу, and how does it agree with the noun?

The noun гора (“mountain”) is the direct object of the verb and appears in the accusative singular. Because гора is feminine, the adjective describing it must agree in gender, number, and case. Thus, висока (the nominative form of “high”) changes to високу in the accusative singular to match гору.

What is the grammatical form of бачу, and what does it indicate about the subject?

Бачу is the first person singular present tense form of the verb бачити (“to see”). This form confirms that the speaker (expressed by я) is the one performing the action in the present moment.

Why is the adverbial phrase У відпустці placed at the beginning of the sentence instead of following the typical subject-verb-object order?

Ukrainian permits flexible word order to emphasize different parts of a sentence. By placing У відпустці at the start, the speaker sets the context—highlighting that the action takes place during vacation. Although the standard order might be subject-verb-object, this rearrangement is common for emphasizing time or circumstance.

Is there any difference between using у versus на when referring to “on vacation” in Ukrainian?

Yes, subtle differences exist. The expression У відпустці is the standard, idiomatic form in Ukrainian for indicating that one is on or during vacation. While some dialects or speakers might occasionally use на відпустці, the norm and more widely accepted usage in standard Ukrainian is у відпустці.