Breakdown of Будь ласка, використовуй ключ, щоб відкрити двері.
щоб
in order to
будь ласка
please
використовувати
to use
двері
the door
ключ
the key
відкрити
to open
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Questions & Answers about Будь ласка, використовуй ключ, щоб відкрити двері.
Why is будь ласка used at the beginning of the sentence?
будь ласка means “please.” It’s a polite particle placed before (or after) an imperative to soften a command. It’s not mandatory but helps make requests courteous.
What mood and person is the verb використовуй, and how is it formed?
використовуй is the imperative mood, second person singular, of використовувати (to use). To form it, you take the verb stem (використовува-) and add the appropriate imperative ending (й).
Why is ключ in what looks like the nominative form? Isn’t it the object of the verb?
It is the direct object, so it’s in the accusative case. Since ключ is a masculine inanimate noun, its accusative form is identical to the nominative.
Why is двері in the plural form even if I mean just one door?
“Двері” is a pluralia tantum noun in Ukrainian. Even when referring to a single door, it appears only in the plural form, and its nominative and accusative plural forms are both двері.
What does щоб mean here, and why is there a comma before it?
щоб means “in order to” and introduces a purpose clause. In Ukrainian, we place a comma before subordinate clauses introduced by щоб.
Why is відкрити in the infinitive form, and why is it perfective?
After щоб, Ukrainian uses the infinitive to express purpose. The perfective infinitive відкрити indicates a completed action (“to open [once]”), which fits the idea of achieving a result.
Could I use the imperfective infinitive відкривати instead of відкрити?
You could, but відкривати would imply a repeated or ongoing action (“to be opening”), which sounds odd for a one-time task. The perfective відкрити is more natural for a single, complete action.
Can I move будь ласка to a different position in the sentence?
Yes. It can appear at the beginning, middle, or end without changing meaning. For example:
Використовуй ключ, щоб відкрити двері, будь ласка.
How would I say “use the key to lock the door” instead?
Replace відкрити (“to open”) with perfective замкнути (“to lock”).
Використовуй ключ, щоб замкнути двері.