Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: У кімнаті панує гармонія між кольорами стін. - There is harmony among the colors of the walls in the room.

It establishes the location by meaning “in the room.” This introductory phrase sets the scene and tells us where the action—the prevailing harmony—is taking place.

Why is гармонія used as the subject, and what does the verb панує mean?

The noun гармонія (“harmony”) serves as the subject of the sentence, emphasizing that harmony is the dominant quality present. The verb панує means “reigns” or “prevails,” which figuratively expresses that the atmosphere in the room is characterized by harmony.

Which grammatical case is used for кольорами, and why is that case chosen here?

The word кольорами is in the instrumental plural form of колір (“color”). In Ukrainian, the preposition між (“between”) requires its complement to be in the instrumental case when indicating relationships among elements, which is why кольорами appears in this form.

What is the role of the genitive plural form стін in the phrase між кольорами стін?

The word стін is the genitive plural form of стіна (“wall”). It functions to show possession or association, indicating that the colours belong to or are found on the walls. Thus, між кольорами стін translates to “between the colors of the walls.”

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

In Ukrainian, it is common to begin with a locative phrase like У кімнаті to set the context, followed by the verb (панує) and then the subject complemented by additional descriptive information. This differs somewhat from the standard English construction, which might place the subject first, but it is a typical and natural word order in Ukrainian to emphasize the setting and the prevailing quality.