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Questions & Answers about У мене є декілька друзів.
What does У мене є literally translate to in English?
У мене є literally means “at me is,” but functionally it expresses possession, so it translates to “I have.” Rather than using a direct equivalent of the English verb “have,” Ukrainian indicates possession by stating that something exists “at” the possessor.
What does the word декілька mean?
Декілька means “a few” or “several.” It indicates an indefinite, small number—more than one but not many.
Why is the linking verb є used in this sentence?
In Ukrainian, the verb є functions as the present form of “to be” and is used to indicate existence or presence. In the construction У мене є декілька друзів, it acts like a linking verb to connect the possessor and what is possessed. Unlike English, where possession is directly expressed with the verb “have,” Ukrainian often uses a construction that relies on є to establish that something exists for someone.
Why is the noun друзів in the genitive plural form instead of the nominative?
When words like декілька (meaning “a few” or “several”) are used, the noun that follows is required to be in the genitive plural form. That’s why друзів is used rather than the nominative plural друзі.
How does the Ukrainian construction У мене є декілька друзів differ from the typical English structure for expressing possession?
In English, possession is generally expressed with a subject-verb-object order as in “I have a few friends.” In Ukrainian, however, possession is conveyed with the construction У мене є, which literally means “at me is.” This structure—using a prepositional phrase to indicate the possessor along with the linking verb є—is a common pattern in Ukrainian and other Slavic languages, and it showcases a different way of expressing ownership or existence compared to English.