Якщо піде дощ, я візьму парасольку.

If it rains, I’ll take an umbrella.

Breakdown of Якщо піде дощ, я візьму парасольку.

• я: I
• дощ: the rain
• якщо: if
• взяти: to take
• парасолька: the umbrella

Questions & Answers about Якщо піде дощ, я візьму парасольку.

What does Якщо mean?

Якщо means if. It introduces a condition that must be fulfilled for the action in the main clause to take place.

What is піде and why is it used here?

піде is the third-person singular future perfective form of піти (to go). In Ukrainian weather expressions, motion verbs are often used, so піде дощ literally means rain will start, i.e. it will rain.

Why is дощ in the nominative case after піде?

Because дощ (“rain”) functions as the subject of the intransitive verb піде. In Ukrainian, subjects are in the nominative case.

Could I say Якщо буде дощ instead of Якщо піде дощ?

Yes. буде дощ uses the impersonal verb бути (to be) and also means it will rain. The nuance is that піде дощ (perfective) emphasizes the onset of rain, while буде дощ is more neutral or general.

What does візьму mean and why is it perfective?

візьму is the first-person singular future perfective of взяти (to take). It indicates a single, completed action in the future: I will take (once) the umbrella if it rains.

Why is парасольку in the accusative case?

парасольку (“umbrella”) is the direct object of взяти, and direct objects in Ukrainian take the accusative case when affected by a perfective action.

Can I swap the clauses, putting the result before the condition?

Yes. You can say Я візьму парасольку, якщо піде дощ. The comma still separates the якщо-clause from the main clause. Ukrainian word order is flexible, so both orders are acceptable.

When should I use коли instead of якщо for conditional sentences?

Use коли (when) for events that are certain or habitual, e.g. Коли я йду в ліс, я беру мапу (“When I go to the forest, I take a map”). Use якщо (if) for hypothetical or uncertain conditions, e.g. Якщо піде дощ, я візьму парасольку.