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Questions & Answers about Мій комп'ютер сучасний.
Why is there no verb equivalent to “to be” in the sentence?
In Ukrainian, the present tense of the verb “to be” is typically omitted. This means that while in English we say “My computer is modern,” in Ukrainian the linking verb is understood and left out, resulting in “Мій комп'ютер сучасний.”
How do the adjective and noun agree with each other in this sentence?
The possessive adjective “Мій” (my) and the descriptive adjective “сучасний” (modern) agree with the noun “комп'ютер” in gender and number. Since “комп'ютер” is masculine singular, both adjectives take their masculine singular forms.
What role does the adjective “сучасний” play in this sentence?
“Сучасний” functions as a predicate adjective. Although Ukrainian does not include an explicit verb in the present tense for such sentences, the adjective conveys the quality attributed to the subject (“комп'ютер”), much like the English predicate adjective in “My computer is modern.”
Why is there an apostrophe in “комп'ютер”?
The apostrophe in “комп'ютер” serves as a phonetic marker. It indicates that the consonant before it should not cause palatalization of the following letter—a common feature in Ukrainian spelling, especially in borrowed words adapted to Ukrainian pronunciation rules.
Can the word order in Ukrainian sentences like this one be changed, and what effect might that have?
Yes, Ukrainian word order is relatively flexible due to its case system. However, in this sentence the standard order (possessive adjective + noun + predicate adjective) clearly marks the subject and its attribute. Changing the order might be used for emphasis or stylistic reasons, but the grammatical relationships remain clear because of the inflectional endings on the words.