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Questions & Answers about Мій друг потрібний.
What does the adjective потрібний mean in this sentence?
It means “needed” or “necessary.” So, Мій друг потрібний translates to “My friend is needed/necessary.” Notice that the implied verb “is” is omitted, which is common in Ukrainian.
Why is there no explicit verb like “is” in the sentence?
In Ukrainian, especially in the present tense, the verb “to be” is usually omitted. The existence of a state or quality is understood without needing an explicit copula, unlike in English.
How does adjective-noun agreement work with потрібний and друг?
In Ukrainian, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. Here, друг is a masculine singular noun, so the adjective потрібний is also in the masculine singular form.
What role does Мій play, and why is it placed before друг?
Мій is a possessive adjective meaning “my.” It indicates ownership of the noun друг (friend) and is placed before the noun, following standard Ukrainian word order.
Would the adjective change if the noun had a different gender or number?
Yes. The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun. For a feminine noun, потрібний would become потрібна; for a neuter noun, it would be потрібне; and plural forms also have their specific endings.