Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Ukrainian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Бажання сильне.
Why is the linking verb "to be" omitted in the sentence Бажання сильне.?
In Ukrainian, the present tense of the verb "to be" is usually left out because its existence is understood from context. So while English requires “is” in “The desire is strong,” Ukrainian conveys the state without an explicit copula.
How does the adjective сильне agree with the noun бажання in this sentence?
Ukrainian adjectives must match the nouns they describe in gender, number, and case. Since бажання is a neuter, singular noun, the adjective takes the neuter, singular form сильне to ensure grammatical agreement.
Why is there no article like "a" or "the" before бажання?
Ukrainian does not use articles. Meaning and definiteness are inferred from context, so whether you mean “a desire” or “the desire” is understood without needing an explicit word for the article.
What is the structure of the sentence Бажання сильне. compared to an English sentence?
The sentence follows a subject-predicate structure, where бажання is the subject and сильне serves as the predicate adjective describing its state. Unlike English, which uses a linking verb (as in “The desire is strong”), Ukrainian omits the linking verb in the present tense.
Could the word order be rearranged, for example as сильне бажання, and what difference would that make?
Yes, сильне бажання is a valid noun phrase meaning “a strong desire.” However, in Бажання сильне. the adjective functions as a predicate to explicitly state that “the desire is strong.” The rearranged form would not serve as a complete sentence but rather as a descriptive phrase.