Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Петро читає книгу, але я п’ю чай.

It translates as "Peter is reading a book, but I am drinking tea." While both Ukrainian present-tense verbs can indicate habitual or ongoing actions, the context usually clarifies the intended meaning.

Why is a comma placed before the word але in this sentence?

In Ukrainian, much like in English, a comma is used before coordinating conjunctions such as але (which means "but") when joining two independent clauses. This punctuation separation helps clarify that each clause has its own subject and predicate.

How do the verbs читає and п’ю reflect their subjects in this sentence?

The verb читає is in the third person singular form, matching the subject Петро (Peter). On the other hand, п’ю is in the first person singular form, corresponding to the subject я (I). The conjugation of each verb clearly indicates the person of its subject.

Why is the noun книга modified to книгу in the sentence?

The noun книга (book) appears as книгу because it is in the accusative case, which is used for the direct object of a verb. In this sentence, since Peter is reading a book, the book is the object of читати, and thus the noun takes its accusative form.

What is the purpose of the apostrophe in п’ю?

The apostrophe in п’ю signals that the preceding consonant п is not palatalized before the vowel ю. This small punctuation mark plays a crucial role in guiding the correct pronunciation of the word.