Я подякую матері.

I will thank my mother.

Breakdown of Я подякую матері.

• я: I
• мати: the mother
• подякувати: to thank

Questions & Answers about Я подякую матері.

What tense and aspect is used in "Я подякую матері"?

The verb подякую is in the perfective aspect and functions as a future tense form. Although it might look like a present tense ending, Ukrainian uses perfective verbs to indicate a completed action that will take place in the future. This means the sentence translates as "I will thank my mother."

Why is "матері" in the dative case instead of the nominative?

In Ukrainian, the verb подякувати (to thank) requires its object—the person being thanked—to be in the dative case. Therefore, мати (mother) changes to матері to reflect that it is the indirect object of the action.

What is the difference between "подякую" and "дякую"?

Подякую is the perfective (future) form of the verb, used when referring to a completed act of thanking that will happen. In contrast, дякую is the present tense form commonly used for immediate expressions of thanks (e.g., "thank you"). The addition of the prefix по- in подякую marks the shift to the perfective aspect.

What role does the prefix по- play in "подякувати"?

The prefix по- in подякувати transforms the verb to its perfective form. This indicates that the action of thanking is viewed as a complete, singular event in the future. In other words, it tells the speaker and listener that the act of giving thanks will be carried out and finished.

Is the word order in Ukrainian flexible, and why is the sentence structured as "Я подякую матері"?

Yes, Ukrainian word order is quite flexible because the grammatical roles of words are indicated by their endings. In "Я подякую матері," the standard Subject-Verb-Object order is used. However, since матері is clearly marked in the dative case, you could rearrange the words for emphasis without causing confusion about who is doing what.

Why doesn’t the sentence include a possessive adjective like "my" before "мати"?

Ukrainian does not have articles like English does, and possessive adjectives are not always necessary when the relationship is understood from context. In many cases (especially in personal statements), the bond between the speaker and мати (mother) is implicit. If needed for clarity, possessive forms can be added, but they are often omitted in straightforward expressions of gratitude.