Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Ukrainian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about У мене є робота.
What is the literal meaning of "У мене є робота."?
It literally translates as "At me there is a job." This reflects the Ukrainian way of expressing possession—by indicating something exists at someone—so it effectively means "I have a job."
Why is the pronoun rendered as "мене" instead of using the nominative form "я"?
In Ukrainian, when expressing possession with the construction "У [possessor] є [object]," the possessor is put in the genitive case. "Мене" is the genitive form of "я" (I), highlighting the idea of something existing at or belonging to the speaker.
What role does the preposition "у" play in this sentence?
The preposition "у" literally means "in" or "at." When combined with a noun in the genitive case (here, "мене"), it creates a possessive construction. This structure tells us where the job exists—namely, at me—which is the Ukrainian way to express "I have."
What is the function of the verb "є" in "У мене є робота."?
The verb "є" is an existential verb that means "there is" or "exists." In this sentence, it connects the possessive phrase with the object, forming the structure "У мене є..." to mean "I have..."
What grammatical cases are demonstrated in this sentence and why are they used?
In "У мене є робота," the word "мене" is in the genitive case because it follows the preposition "у" in a possessive construction. Meanwhile, "робота" remains in the nominative case as it is the item whose existence is being asserted. This combination is typical in Ukrainian when expressing possession.