Breakdown of Петро святкує день народження.
Петро
Petro
святкувати
to celebrate
день народження
the birthday
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Questions & Answers about Петро святкує день народження.
What does the sentence Петро святкує день народження mean word-for-word?
Петро is a proper noun equivalent to Peter in English. The verb святкує is the third person singular present tense of святкувати and means "celebrates." The phrase день народження literally translates as "day of birth," which in Ukrainian is the standard way to say "birthday." Thus, the sentence means "Peter celebrates (his) birthday."
How is the verb святкує conjugated, and what is its base or infinitive form?
The verb святкує comes from the infinitive святкувати (meaning "to celebrate"). In this sentence, it is conjugated in the third person singular present tense. In Ukrainian, many verbs add the ending -є in this form, which signals that Петро (the subject) is performing the action.
Why does the sentence not include a possessive pronoun before день народження (as in “his birthday”)?
In Ukrainian, possessive pronouns are often omitted when it is clear from context whose birthday is being celebrated. Since Петро is the subject of the sentence, it is naturally understood that he is celebrating his birthday. Adding a possessive would be redundant.
What grammatical case is used for день народження, and why doesn’t its form change?
День народження functions as the direct object of the verb святкує and is therefore in the accusative case. However, because день is an inanimate masculine noun, its accusative form is identical to its nominative form. This is why the word does not appear to change.
Does this sentence follow a specific word order, and is Ukrainian word order flexible?
Yes, this sentence follows the standard Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) pattern: Петро (subject) comes first, followed by святкує (verb), and день народження (object) comes last. Although Ukrainian has a flexible word order due to its case system, using SVO is common in simple, declarative sentences.
What should I know about pronouncing this sentence, especially regarding stress patterns?
Ukrainian pronunciation involves distinct stress patterns that can differ from English. For example, in Петро the stress typically falls on the first syllable. In святкує, the stress is generally on the mid-syllable (often the second syllable), though variations can occur based on regional accents. For день народження, stress placement is similar to the natural rhythm of the phrase. Listening to native speakers and practicing aloud is the best way to get accustomed to the correct pronunciation and stress patterns.