Breakdown of Я ставлю чайник на плиту поруч із каструлею.
я
I
на
on
чайник
the kettle
ставити
to put
плита
the stove
поруч із
next to
каструля
the pot
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Questions & Answers about Я ставлю чайник на плиту поруч із каструлею.
Why is ставлю used here, and what does it tell us about tense and aspect?
Ставлю is the 1st-person singular present tense of the imperfective verb ставити (to put/place). The imperfective aspect describes an ongoing action or the process of placing. There is no perfective present in Ukrainian—if you want to express a single completed action in the past you’d use the perfective поставити in past tense: я поставив (if you’re male) / поставила (if you’re female) чайник на плиту.
Why is плиту in the accusative case instead of the locative (плиті)?
With the preposition на and a verb of motion or placement (ставити = “to put onto”), you use the Accusative case to show direction (“onto the stove”). If you wanted to say “the kettle is standing on the stove” (static location), you’d switch to the Locative: чайник стоїть на плиті.
Why do we say поруч із каструлею and use the instrumental case?
The adverb поруч (“next to”) demands the preposition з/ із, which in this usage takes the Instrumental case. So каструля (nominative) becomes каструлею (instrumental) after із: поруч із каструлею = “next to the pot.”
What’s the difference between з and із, and why is із used before каструлею?
З and із are the same preposition. Із is a full form used before words beginning with certain consonant clusters or to ease pronunciation. You could also say поруч з каструлею, but поруч із каструлею sounds more natural.
Is the word order in Я ставлю чайник на плиту поруч із каструлею fixed, or can I rearrange it?
Ukrainian word order is relatively free, but the neutral S–V–O + adverbials pattern you see here is most common. You could front-load for emphasis:
• Поруч із каструлею я ставлю чайник на плиту (emphasizes the location near the pot).
Avoid awkward mixes like Я ставлю чайник поруч із каструлею на плиту—it breaks the natural flow.
Why is Я included? Isn’t the subject clear from ставлю?
Verbal endings in Ukrainian do show the subject, so Я is grammatically optional. Speakers often include Я for clarity or emphasis, especially in spoken language.
Can I replace поруч із with another phrase to mean “next to”?
Yes. You can use біля + Genitive: Я ставлю чайник на плиту біля каструлі. Both поруч із каструлею (Instrumental) and біля каструлі (Genitive) mean “next to the pot” and are largely interchangeable.
Why do we use на with плиту instead of в?
На is used for surfaces—tables, roofs, stovetops, etc.—when placing something on top. В/ у is for inside containers or spaces (e.g., в кімнаті, в каструлі).
How would I say “I have put the kettle on the stove” (completed action)?
Use the perfective verb поставити in the past tense:
• If you’re male: Я поставив чайник на плиту.
• If you’re female: Я поставила чайник на плиту.
What’s the difference between ставити and класти? Can I say Я кладу чайник на плиту?
Both mean “to put,” but ставити is used when placing something upright or on top of a surface (like a kettle). Класти often implies laying something flat. Saying Я кладу чайник на плиту isn’t technically wrong, but Ukrainian speakers prefer Я ставлю чайник на плиту for a standing object like a kettle.