Questions & Answers about Варена кукурудза ніжна і солодка.
What part of speech is варена, and why does it end with -а?
варена is the past passive participle of the verb варити (“to boil”) used as an adjective. Because кукурудза is a feminine noun in the nominative case, the participle takes the feminine singular ending -а to agree with it.
How can I tell that кукурудза is feminine?
Most Ukrainian nouns ending in -а or -я are feminine in the nominative case. Since кукурудза ends in -а, it’s classified as a feminine singular noun.
Why do the adjectives ніжна and солодка both end in -а?
Adjectives in Ukrainian must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. Here they describe a feminine singular noun (кукурудза) in the nominative case, so both adjectives take the feminine singular ending -а.
Why is there no article (“the” or “a”) before Варена кукурудза?
Ukrainian has no definite or indefinite articles. You simply use the noun and any modifiers together. Варена кукурудза can be translated as “boiled corn,” “the boiled corn,” or “some boiled corn” depending on context.
What case is in, and how do you know?