Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Вчора день був менш спекотним, ніж сьогодні.

Вчора means yesterday. It serves to set the time frame for the sentence, indicating that the statement refers to the events or conditions of the previous day.

How is the comparative less hot formed in Ukrainian as seen in менш спекотним?

In Ukrainian, the comparative is formed using the word менш (meaning less) in front of the adjective. Here, спекотним is the corresponding adjective for hot, and it appears in the instrumental case. This structure—using менш plus an adjective in the instrumental—is typical when making comparisons.

Why is the adjective спекотним in the instrumental case instead of, say, the nominative case?

In Ukrainian, adjectives that follow the past or future forms of the verb бути (“to be”) are often put into the instrumental case to describe the state or condition of the subject. In this sentence, спекотним agrees with день (day) in the instrumental case, which is why it appears that way after був (was).

What role does the phrase ніж сьогодні play in the sentence?

The phrase ніж сьогодні functions as the comparison clause. Ніж translates to than, and сьогодні means today. Together, they compare the condition of the day yesterday with that of today, indicating that yesterday was less hot than today.

How does the structure of this Ukrainian sentence compare to a similar expression in English?

While both languages express comparisons, Ukrainian relies on case endings rather than articles and fixed word order. The sentence "Вчора день був менш спекотним, ніж сьогодні" literally means "Yesterday day was less hot than today." In English, we would typically include a definite article to say "Yesterday, the day was less hot than today." Additionally, the use of the instrumental case in Ukrainian provides grammatical information that in English is instead conveyed through word order and auxiliary words.