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Questions & Answers about Я довго чекаю друга.
Why is the noun друга in the genitive case instead of the accusative?
In Ukrainian, the verb чекати (“to wait”) requires its object to be in the genitive case. Even though in English we use a preposition like “for” with the accusative object (“wait for a friend”), Ukrainian grammar uses the genitive directly without any additional preposition in this context.
What does the adverb довго mean and how does it function in this sentence?
Довго means “for a long time” and serves as an adverb modifying the verb чекаю. It tells us about the duration of the action, indicating that the speaker has been waiting for an extended period.
How is the verb чекати conjugated in this sentence, and what does чекаю tell us about the subject?
Чекати is the infinitive form “to wait.” In this sentence, it appears as чекаю, which is the first person singular present tense form. This conjugation tells us that the speaker (“Я”) is the one performing the action of waiting.
Is the word order in "Я довго чекаю друга" fixed, or can it be rearranged in Ukrainian?
Ukrainian word order is relatively flexible due to its rich inflectional system. However, the sentence follows a natural Subject – Adverb – Verb – Object order, which clearly indicates the roles of each element. Though you can rearrange the words for emphasis or style, the typical order makes the meaning immediately clear.
How would you change the sentence if you wanted to express the action in the past tense, and what gender considerations should be taken into account?
To express the action in the past tense, you must conjugate the verb чекати appropriately. For a male speaker, the sentence becomes Я довго чекав друга, while for a female speaker it changes to Я довго чекала друга. Notice that the object remains in the genitive case regardless of the tense or gender.