Мій друг живе біля центру міста.

My friend lives near the city center.

Breakdown of Мій друг живе біля центру міста.

• мій: my
• друг: the friend
• жити: to live
• біля: near
• центр міста: the city center

Questions & Answers about Мій друг живе біля центру міста.

What does the Ukrainian word Мій mean, and how does it agree with the noun it modifies?

Мій means "my" in English. It is a possessive pronoun that agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies—in this case, друг (friend), which is masculine singular.

What is the meaning and grammatical role of друг in this sentence?

Друг translates to "friend." It serves as the subject of the sentence, appearing in its nominative form, which is typical for the subject in Ukrainian sentences.

What does the verb живе indicate, and what is its grammatical form?

Живе is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb жити, meaning "to live." It tells us that "my friend lives" (i.e., currently resides) somewhere.

How is the preposition біля used in Ukrainian, and what case should follow it?

Біля means "near" or "beside." In Ukrainian, this preposition requires that the noun following it is in the genitive case. That is why центру (center) and міста (city) appear in the genitive.

What is the structure of the phrase центру міста, and how do these words relate?

Центру міста translates as "the center of the city." Центру is the genitive singular form of центр ("center"), while міста is the genitive singular of місто ("city"). Together, they form a possessive construction that signifies the center belonging to the city.

Why is the sentence structured as Мій друг живе біля центру міста instead of rearranging the word order?

Ukrainian often follows a subject–verb–location order similar to English. Additionally, due to the case system (e.g., the genitive used with біля), the relationships between words are clearly marked, allowing for flexibility in word order without losing meaning. In this sentence, starting with Мій друг (subject) followed by the verb живе and ending with the locational phrase біля центру міста efficiently conveys the intended information.