Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Ukrainian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Скільки у тебе є часу?
Why is часу in the genitive case instead of the nominative?
In Ukrainian, after the question word скільки (“how much/ many”), the following noun must be in the genitive case to indicate quantity. Час (“time”) is uncountable here, so you use its genitive singular form часу rather than the nominative час.
What function does є serve in this sentence? Can I omit it?
The word є means “there is/there are” and completes the existential construction у тебе є (“you have”). In everyday spoken Ukrainian, є is often dropped without changing the core meaning, giving you “Скільки у тебе часу?” Both forms are correct; including є adds a slight emphasis on existence or availability.
Why do we say у тебе є to mean “you have” instead of using the verb мати directly?
Both у тебе є and ти маєш mean “you have.” The structure у тебе є (“at you there is”) is an existential phrase common in Slavic languages. Using мати (“to have”) – “ти маєш” – is also correct: you could ask “Скільки часу ти маєш?” The existential form often feels more neutral or formal and can subtly stress that something is available.
Could I use ти маєш instead of у тебе є? Are there any differences?
Yes. “Скільки часу ти маєш?” is perfectly grammatical and widely used. The main difference is stylistic: “ти маєш” comes from the verb “to have,” while “у тебе є” is an existential construction meaning “there is at you.” They convey the same basic idea, so you can choose whichever sounds more natural to you.
What’s the difference between скільки часу and скільки годин?
Скільки часу asks “how much time” in a general or approximate sense (uncountable measure). Скільки годин asks “how many hours” (countable units). If you want a rough estimate, use скільки часу (“About half an hour”). If you need a precise count of hours, use скільки годин (“Two hours”).
Why is скільки used here instead of який or як багато?
Скільки is the standard interrogative for asking about quantities and amounts. Який means “which” or “what kind of,” and як багато is more emphatic (“how many/much” with a sense of surprise). For a straightforward “how much/many” question, скільки is idiomatic and concise.
Why do we say у тебе instead of в тебе? Can both be used?
Both prepositions mean “in/at,” but Ukrainian prefers у before a consonant cluster like (v + т) which can be awkward to pronounce as вт. So у тебе is the standard written form. In casual speech you might still hear в тебе, and it’s understood, but у тебе is the norm in formal or written contexts.
Can I reorder the words or use a different structure? For example, “Скільки часу ти маєш?” or “У тебе є скільки часу?”
You can definitely say “Скільки часу ти маєш?” using мати instead of є; it’s common and correct. The variant “У тебе є скільки часу?” is grammatically possible but sounds awkward. Typical word orders include:
- “Скільки у тебе є часу?”
- “Скільки у тебе часу?” (omitting є)
- “Скільки часу у тебе є?” All these sound natural and idiomatic.