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Questions & Answers about Одягнися швидше, будь ласка.
What does одягнися mean, and how do you form this imperative?
It’s the 2nd person singular imperative of the perfective reflexive verb одягнутися (“to get dressed” oneself). To form it, drop the infinitive ending -ти, add the imperative marker -ни-, then attach the reflexive suffix -ся:
одягнутися → одягну- → одягнуи → одягнися.
Why is the reflexive suffix -ся used here?
The suffix -ся makes the verb reflexive, indicating you perform the action on yourself. Without -ся, одягнути means “to dress someone (else).” With -ся, одягнутися means “to get dressed (yourself).”
Why is the perfective aspect used (одягнутися) instead of the imperfective (одягатися)?
Perfective verbs focus on the completion of an action. In a command like this, you want the listener to finish getting dressed. The imperfective одягатися would emphasize the ongoing process without guaranteeing its completion.
What part of speech is швидше, and how does it differ from швидко?
Швидше is the comparative form of the adverb швидко (“quickly”). In imperatives it often means “faster” or “hurry up,” adding urgency, whereas швидко simply means “quickly” in a neutral sense.
Can you use скоріше instead of швидше, and is there any nuance?
Yes. Скоріше is more colloquial and often translated as “hurry up” or “sooner.” Швидше focuses on speed (“faster”), while скоріше also implies “as soon as possible.”
What does будь ласка literally mean, and where can you place it?
Будь ласка literally means “be so kind” and functions as “please.” It’s a set phrase you can place at the beginning (Будь ласка, одягнися швидше) or at the end (Одягнися швидше, будь ласка) of a request to soften the command.
How do you place the stress in одягнися швидше, будь ласка?
The primary stresses fall on the marked syllables:
одягни́ся (odyah-NEE-sya), шви́дше (SHVYD-she), ла́ска (LAS-ka).
Is this sentence formal or informal? How would you address someone formally or plural?
This is the informal singular (ти) form, used with friends, family, or children. For formal or plural address, switch to the 2nd person plural imperative:
Одягніться швидше, будь ласка.
Is the word order flexible? Could I say будь ласка, одягнися швидше?
Yes. Ukrainian has relatively free word order. Placing будь ласка at the front or end only slightly shifts emphasis but doesn’t change the overall meaning.