Breakdown of Екскурсія була цікавою, тому ми зробили багато фотографій.
цікавий
interesting
ми
we
бути
to be
багато
many
фотографія
the photograph
тому
so
екскурсія
the excursion
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Ukrainian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Екскурсія була цікавою, тому ми зробили багато фотографій.
What does Екскурсія mean in this sentence?
Екскурсія translates to excursion or tour. It refers to a guided trip or visit, setting the context for the experience described.
Why is the adjective цікавою in the form ending with -ою?
The adjective цікавою is in the instrumental feminine singular form. In Ukrainian, when using the past tense of the verb бути (was) to connect a subject with a descriptive adjective, the adjective agrees with the subject (here, екскурсія, which is feminine) in gender and takes the instrumental case.
Why is фотографій in the genitive plural form instead of the nominative or accusative?
After quantifiers like багато (many), Ukrainian grammar requires the noun to be in the genitive plural. Thus, фотографій is used to express “many photographs.”
How should we interpret the verb зробили—does it literally mean “made” or is it used idiomatically to mean “took” photos?
While зробили literally means “made” (from зробити), in this context it is idiomatic. Ukrainian often uses this verb to mean “to take” photographs, similar to how English speakers say “took photos” even though the literal translation might differ.
What is the function of тому in this sentence?
тому functions as a conjunction meaning therefore or so. It connects the two clauses by indicating cause and effect: because the tour was interesting, the speakers ended up taking many photos.
Is the sentence structure similar to English, and what should a learner note about it?
Yes, the structure is quite similar to English. The sentence consists of two clauses: one describing the state of the tour (Екскурсія була цікавою) and one expressing the result (тому ми зробили багато фотографій). However, learners should pay attention to grammatical details like case usage with adjectives and nouns and the idiomatic use of verbs in Ukrainian.