У мене є звичка читати щоранку.

I have a habit of reading every morning.

Breakdown of У мене є звичка читати щоранку.

• читати: to read
• мені: me
• у: in
• бути: to be
• щоранку: every morning
• звичка: the habit

Questions & Answers about У мене є звичка читати щоранку.

What does У мене є mean in English?

У мене є literally translates as I have. It’s the standard way in Ukrainian to express possession—indicating that something exists for or belongs to the speaker.

Why does the sentence use the infinitive читати after звичка?

In Ukrainian, when expressing habits or regular activities, it’s common to use an infinitive after a noun like звичка (habit). Here, читати means to read, so звичка читати conveys the idea of having a habit of reading, much like the English construction a habit of reading.

What does щоранку mean, and how does it function in the sentence?

Щоранку means every morning. It acts as an adverbial modifier specifying when the action takes place. This detail highlights that the habit of reading occurs each morning.

Why isn’t there an article before звичка in Ukrainian, even though we translate it as a habit?

Ukrainian, like many Slavic languages, does not have articles such as a or the. The absence of an article in звичка is normal, and its meaning—whether it would be a habit or the habit in English—is understood from the context.

Is the sentence structure У мене є + noun + infinitive a common pattern in Ukrainian for expressing habits or routines?

Yes, this is a common pattern. The construction У мене є (I have) followed by a noun like звичка (habit) and an infinitive such as читати (to read) clearly expresses that the speaker has a habit of doing something. This mirrors similar expressions in English, even though the structure and the lack of articles differ.

How flexible is word order in Ukrainian compared to English, especially in this sentence?

Ukrainian word order is generally more flexible than English because of its case system, which clarifies the grammatical roles of words. In У мене є звичка читати щоранку, the order emphasizes possession first, then the habit, followed by the activity and its timing. While the structure is somewhat similar to English for clarity, rearrangements are possible without losing the essential meaning due to the inflectional nature of the language.

Can the idea expressed in У мене є звичка читати щоранку be expressed in a different way in Ukrainian?

Yes, it can. For instance, one alternative is Я звик читати щоранку, which uses the reflexive verb звикати (to be accustomed to) to convey the same meaning: that you’re used to reading every morning. However, the original phrasing explicitly highlights the concept of a habit rather than just a routine or a tendency.