Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Зміна погоди змусила нас перенести пікнік на вечір. - The change in the weather made us postpone the picnic to the evening.

"Зміна погоди" translates as “change of weather.” Here, "зміна" means “change” in the nominative case, and "погоди" is the genitive form of "погода" (“weather”). In Ukrainian, relationships like “change of something” typically require the genitive case, hence "погоди" instead of the nominative "погода."

How does the verb "змушила" function in this sentence?

The verb "змушила" means “forced” or “compelled.” It is in the past tense, feminine singular form to agree with "зміна" (a feminine noun). In this construction, "змушила" is a causative verb that takes an object ("нас") and is followed by an infinitive ("перенести"), indicating that the weather change caused us to take a specific action.

What role does the infinitive "перенести" play in the sentence?

"Перенести" is the infinitive that completes the meaning of the causative construction. After "змушила нас" (“forced us”), the infinitive explains what action was compelled—in this case, to postpone or move the picnic. It serves as the complement to the verb "змушила."

Why is the phrase "на вечір" used at the end of the sentence, and what does it indicate?

The phrase "на вечір" literally means “for the evening.” It functions as an adverbial modifier indicating the new time for the picnic. Ukrainian commonly places time-related expressions after the main action, so here it clarifies that the picnic was rescheduled to take place in the evening.

Can you break down the grammatical structure of the sentence, particularly the cases and verb forms used?

Certainly. The sentence is structured as follows: • "Зміна погоди" is the subject. "Зміна" is in the nominative case (feminine singular), while "погоди" is in the genitive case to express “of weather.” • "змушила" is a past tense causative verb in the feminine singular form, matching the gender of "зміна." • "нас" is the direct object (in the accusative case), meaning “us.” • "перенести пікнік" is an infinitive phrase where "перенести" (infinitive) indicates the action (to postpone or move) and "пікнік" is its direct object. "Пікнік" is a masculine noun, and its accusative form is identical to its nominative. • "на вечір" is an adverbial phrase (using the preposition "на" with the accusative "вечір") that specifies the time to which the picnic was moved.