Breakdown of Суп розігрівається в мікрохвильовці за дві хвилини.
в
in
хвилина
the minute
мікрохвильовка
the microwave
суп
the soup
розігріватися
to heat up
за
in
два
two
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Questions & Answers about Суп розігрівається в мікрохвильовці за дві хвилини.
What is the grammatical form of розігрівається and how would you translate it literally?
Розігрігрівається is a third-person singular verb in the present tense with the reflexive suffix -ся. Literally it means “heats itself up” or “is heating itself,” but in natural English we’d say “is heating,” “heats up,” or “is being heated.”
Why does the verb have the ending -ся?
The ending -ся marks the middle (or reflexive) voice in Ukrainian. It shows that the action happens to the subject itself rather than someone actively doing it to an object. Here, the soup heats up on its own (in the microwave).
Why is суп in the nominative case?
In this sentence суп is the subject—the thing performing the action of heating itself—so it stands in the nominative case.
What case is used after в in в мікрохвильовці, and how do I choose between в and у?
В мікрохвильовці uses the locative (prepositional) case to indicate location (“in the microwave”). You choose в or у based on euphony: generally в goes before consonant sounds that are easy to pronounce with в, while у goes before vowel sounds or tougher consonant clusters. Both в мікрохвильовці and у мікрохвильовці are acceptable, but в sounds more natural here.
What does за дві хвилини mean exactly?
За дві хвилини literally means “in two minutes” or “within two minutes.” It tells you how long the heating process takes from start to finish.
Why is дві хвилини in the accusative case after за?
When за expresses the time needed to complete an action (“in/within X time”), it takes the accusative case. Hence дві хвилини is accusative plural.
How is за дві хвилини different from протягом двох хвилин?
- За дві хвилини = “in/within two minutes,” focusing on how quickly the action is completed.
- Протягом двох хвилин = “for two minutes,” emphasizing that the action lasts continuously over that period.
Why is the present tense розігрівається used here if I’m going to start the microwave later?
In recipes, instructions, and general statements about how long something takes, Ukrainian often uses the present tense to express scheduled or habitual actions—even if you will do them in the future. It’s like saying “the soup heats up in two minutes” as a general fact.
How would I say “I heat the soup in the microwave” in Ukrainian?
Use the active, transitive form without -ся:
Я розігріваю суп у (or в) мікрохвильовці.
Can I replace розігрівається with a passive construction?
Ukrainian prefers the reflexive/middle voice (розігрівається) over a true passive here. A passive like суп був розігрітий (“the soup was heated”) would sound odd for a simple recipe step. The reflexive form is idiomatic for cooking processes.