Бібліотека, де зберігаються рідкісні книги, є місцем, яке мені подобається.

The library, where rare books are kept, is a place that I like.

Breakdown of Бібліотека, де зберігаються рідкісні книги, є місцем, яке мені подобається.

• книга: the book
• мені: me
• бути: to be
• бібліотека: the library
• де: where
• місце: the place
• зберігатися: to be kept
• рідкісний: rare
• яке: which
• подобатися: to like

Questions & Answers about Бібліотека, де зберігаються рідкісні книги, є місцем, яке мені подобається.

What role does де play in this sentence?

Де functions as a relative adverb meaning “where”. It introduces the clause “де зберігаються рідкісні книги”, which describes the location or condition of the library—in this case, indicating that the rare books are kept there.

Why is the linking verb є included when Ukrainian often omits the present tense of “to be”?

Although in many Ukrainian sentences the present tense of бути (“to be”) is omitted, the use of є here explicitly links the subject (“Бібліотека”) with its predicate (“місцем, яке мені подобається”). This inclusion helps to emphasize the state of being and can enhance clarity, especially in more formal or detailed contexts.

What does the reflexive verb form зберігаються imply in this context?

The verb in its reflexive form, “зберігаються”, indicates that the rare books are kept or stored without naming an external agent—similar to the passive voice in English. It emphasizes that the books are maintained in the library on their own, a typical construction when describing where items are kept.

How does the relative pronoun яке function in the sentence, and why does it appear in its specific form?

Яке serves as a relative pronoun introducing the subordinate clause “яке мені подобається” that describes the predicate “місцем”. Even though “місцем” is in the instrumental case (which is common after the linking verb є), the relative pronoun’s form is determined by its role in its own clause—here, acting as the subject of “подобається”—so it appears in its neuter nominative form to agree appropriately with the clause’s structure.

What purpose do the commas serve in this sentence?

The commas separate the main clause from the embedded relative clauses. The first comma sets off “де зберігаються рідкісні книги”, and a later comma precedes “яке мені подобається”. This punctuation clarifies that these are non-restrictive clauses adding extra information about the library rather than defining it, much like non-essential descriptive clauses in English.

How does the word order in this Ukrainian sentence compare to typical English sentence structure?

Both Ukrainian and English generally follow a Subject-Verb-Object order, but Ukrainian has a more flexible syntax because of its rich inflectional system. In this sentence, relative clauses like “де зберігаються рідкісні книги” and “яке мені подобається” immediately follow the nouns they modify, similar to how non-restrictive clauses are positioned in English. However, unique features such as the instrumental case following є and the use of reflexive verb forms make the structure distinct.