Breakdown of Я йду до супермаркету, щоб купити свіжі фрукти.
я
I
йти
to go
до
to
купити
to buy
свіжий
fresh
фрукт
the fruit
щоб
in order to
супермаркет
the supermarket
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Questions & Answers about Я йду до супермаркету, щоб купити свіжі фрукти.
What does the verb йду mean in this sentence, and how is it conjugated?
Йду is the first person singular present tense form of the verb йти, meaning “to go” or “am going.” It agrees with the subject Я (I), indicating that the speaker is currently in the process of going.
Why is до супермаркету used instead of в супермаркет to express direction?
In Ukrainian, the preposition до is used to indicate movement toward or up to a destination. It requires the noun that follows to be in the genitive case. Here, супермаркету is the genitive singular form of супермаркет. While в супермаркет is also possible in some contexts (emphasizing entering the building), до супермаркету stresses the act of approaching or going toward the location.
How does the clause щоб купити свіжі фрукти function within the sentence?
This clause expresses purpose by explaining why the speaker is going to the supermarket. Щоб translates to “in order to,” and it introduces the purpose clause. The verb купити (to buy) appears in the infinitive form, and свіжі фрукти serves as its object, indicating what the speaker intends to purchase.
Why is the verb купити in its infinitive form after щоб?
In Ukrainian, when expressing purpose with щоб, it is common to use the infinitive form to clearly convey the intended action. Купити remains unconjugated because it directly states the objective—“to buy”—which is the reason behind the action in the main clause.
What role does the adjective свіжі play in this sentence?
Свіжі means “fresh” and is an adjective modifying фрукти (fruits). In Ukrainian, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in gender, number, and case. Since фрукти is plural, свіжі is also in the plural form to match it correctly.
What case is used for супермаркету, and why is that case appropriate here?
Супермаркету is in the genitive case. The preposition до governs the genitive, which is used here to indicate direction or destination. This case formation is essential to correctly show the relationship between the action of going and the destination.
Why is there a comma before щоб in the sentence?
The comma separates the main clause (Я йду до супермаркету) from the subordinate purpose clause (щоб купити свіжі фрукти). In Ukrainian punctuation, subordinate clauses—especially those indicating purpose introduced by words like щоб—are typically set off by a comma to enhance clarity.