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Questions & Answers about Слово цікаве.
Why is there no verb (like is) in the sentence Слово цікаве.?
In Ukrainian, the present tense of the verb to be is commonly omitted. This means that even though the English translation is "The word is interesting," the copula is is understood and not explicitly stated in Ukrainian.
How does the adjective цікаве agree with the noun слово?
In Ukrainian, adjectives must agree with their corresponding nouns in gender, number, and case. Since слово is a neuter noun in the singular form, the adjective цікаве appears in the neuter singular form. For example, if the noun were masculine, you would use цікавий, and if it were feminine, you would use цікава.
Can the adjective be placed before the noun instead of after it, and what effect does that have?
Yes, the adjective placement in Ukrainian can vary. You might also say Цікаве слово. While both Слово цікаве. and Цікаве слово. are grammatically correct, the different order can be used to emphasize either the noun or the adjective or to achieve a particular stylistic effect.
Is Слово цікаве. considered a complete sentence in Ukrainian?
Absolutely. Despite its brevity, the sentence is complete. Ukrainian often omits the verb to be in the present tense, so the structure [noun] + [adjective] fully conveys the intended meaning: "The word is interesting."
Why doesn't the sentence include an article like "the", and does that affect its meaning?
Ukrainian does not use articles such as "the" or "a/an". The absence of an article in Слово цікаве. is completely normal and does not affect the meaning. The context of Ukrainian grammar assumes definiteness or indefiniteness without the need for articles.