Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Ukrainian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Мій будинок простий.
Why is there no word for “is” in the sentence “Мій будинок простий.”?
In Ukrainian, the present tense form of the verb “to be” is typically omitted. The sentence “Мій будинок простий.” implies “My house is simple” without explicitly using a linking verb.
How do the words “мій” and “простий” agree with “будинок” in this sentence?
Both “мій” (my) and “простий” (simple) are in the masculine singular form because “будинок” (house) is a masculine noun. In Ukrainian, adjectives and pronouns must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case.
Why does the adjective “простий” appear at the end of the sentence instead of before “будинок”?
The structure “Мій будинок простий.” uses “Мій будинок” as the subject and “простий” as the predicate adjective. In Ukrainian, predicate adjectives come after the subject when the copula (the verb “to be”) is omitted.
Does Ukrainian have articles like “a” or “the” that we see in English sentences?
No, Ukrainian does not use articles like “a” or “the.” The meaning and definiteness are understood from context and the use of possessive pronouns like “мій.”
What would happen to the form of “простий” if the noun were a different gender?
Adjectives in Ukrainian change their endings to match the gender of the noun they describe. For example, if the noun were feminine, the adjective would change to the feminine nominative form (e.g., “Моя хата проста” for “My house is simple” using the feminine noun “хата”).