Breakdown of Ми плануємо купатися в озері наступного літа.
в
in
ми
we
озеро
the lake
планувати
to plan
купатися
to swim
наступний
next
літо
the summer
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Questions & Answers about Ми плануємо купатися в озері наступного літа.
What is the literal English translation of the sentence "Ми плануємо купатися в озері наступного літа"?
It translates to “We plan to swim in the lake next summer.” Here, Ми means “we,” плануємо means “plan” (or “are planning”), купатися means “to bathe” or “to swim” (in the sense of bathing oneself), в озері means “in the lake,” and наступного літа means “next summer.”
Why is the verb купатися used in its reflexive form instead of a non-reflexive alternative?
The reflexive form купатися is used to indicate that the subject is performing the action on itself (i.e., bathing or swimming). In Ukrainian, this form conveys that the action is done by the subject alone—similar to saying “to go swimming” rather than bathing someone else. The non-reflexive купати would imply an action performed on another person or object.
How is the phrase наступного літа formed, and why is it in the genitive case?
In Ukrainian, many time expressions use the genitive case to indicate when an event will occur. The noun літо (“summer”) changes to літа in the genitive singular, and the adjective наступного agrees with it in gender, number, and case. This construction, наступного літа, translates as “next summer.”
Why is there no article before озері in the phrase в озері?
Ukrainian does not use articles like “a” or “the”. Nouns are understood from context without needing extra words to indicate definiteness. Therefore, озері simply means “lake” without an accompanying article.
Why is the verb плануємо in the present tense even though the action refers to the future?
Similar to English when saying “I’m meeting him tomorrow,” Ukrainian often uses the present tense to talk about planned or scheduled future events. The time marker наступного літа (“next summer”) makes it clear that the action is in the future, even though плануємо is in the present form.
How does word order in this sentence affect its meaning, and can it be rearranged?
Ukrainian has a flexible word order because grammatical roles are indicated by cases rather than strict position. The sentence Ми плануємо купатися в озері наступного літа follows a natural and clear order for expressing a future plan. While elements can be rearranged for emphasis, the original order is the most straightforward way to convey that “we plan to go swimming in the lake next summer.”