Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Ukrainian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Я ставлю чашку на стіл.
Why is the noun чашка in the form чашку here?
Because it’s the direct object of the verb ставлю, it takes the accusative case. Чашка is a feminine noun ending in –а, and in singular accusative it changes to –у, yielding чашку.
Why does стіл stay the same after на instead of changing its ending?
Here на governs the accusative to show movement onto something. Стіл is a masculine inanimate noun ending in a consonant, and for such nouns the nominative and accusative forms are identical. That’s why it remains стіл.
What’s the difference between ставлю and поставлю?
These are the imperfective and perfective forms of the same verb.
- Ставлю (imperfective, present) means “I put / I am putting” (ongoing or habitual).
- Поставлю (perfective, future) means “I will put” (completed action in the future).
So to say “I will put the cup on the table,” you’d say Я поставлю чашку на стіл.
How do I express that I have already placed the cup on the table?
Use the perfective past form: Я поставив (masc.) / поставила (fem.) чашку на стіл.
This tells your listener the action is completed.
What is the difference between the verbs ставити and класти?
Both can translate as “to put,” but they carry slightly different nuances:
- Ставити typically implies placing something upright or on a horizontal surface in its natural position (e.g. a cup on a table).
- Класти usually means laying something down, often flat (e.g. laying a book on a shelf).
In many contexts you can use either, but think about the orientation and nuance of “placing” vs “laying.”
Why is the verb ставлю in the present tense? Doesn’t “I put the cup on the table” sound past?
Ukrainian imperfective present tense covers both habitual actions (“I put a cup on the table every morning”) and actions happening right now (“I am putting a cup on the table”). There’s no separate continuous form. Context tells you whether it’s a repeated action or one in progress.
Where does the stress fall in ставлю, and how should I pronounce it?
Stress is on the first syllable: СТАВ-лю [ˈstavlʲu]. Pronounce the вл cluster smoothly, as one combined sound.
Why do we use на here instead of в, and what case do they take?
- На + accusative expresses movement onto a surface (here, onto the table).
- В + accusative expresses movement into an enclosed space (e.g. в кімнату – into the room).
Since the cup is going onto (not into) the table, we say на стіл.
Can I drop the subject Я and just say Ставлю чашку на стіл?
Yes. Ukrainian verbs carry endings that identify person and number. –ю on ставлю clearly indicates “I,” so the subject pronoun Я is optional unless you want to emphasize it.