Question 1

Why is there no explicit subject in this sentence, and why is the verb було used instead of були?

Accepted Answer

This is an impersonal construction common in weather and temperature expressions. Ukrainian uses the neuter singular past of бути (to be) – було – without any concrete subject. Even though “десять градусів” sounds plural, the verb remains neuter singular in impersonal statements.

Question 2

Why is градусів in the genitive plural form instead of nominative or accusative?

Accepted Answer

In Ukrainian, numbers from 5 to 20 (and all tens like 30, 40, etc.) require the following noun in the genitive plural. Since десять (10) falls in this range, градусів (genitive plural) is grammatically correct rather than градуси or градус.

Question 3

What case is на вулиці, and why is it used here?

Accepted Answer

На вулиці is the locative (also called prepositional) case after the preposition на. It indicates location (“on the street”/“outside”). For talking about being outside, locative with на is standard.

Question 4

Could you use надворі instead of на вулиці? What’s the difference?

Accepted Answer

Yes, надворі is an adverb meaning “outdoors” or “in the yard.” It’s a bit more general or rustic, whereas на вулиці literally means “on the street” or “outside” in a public/open-air sense. Both work for “it was ten degrees outside,” but на вулиці is more neutral.

Question 5

How would you say that it was ten degrees below zero or ten degrees above zero?

Accepted Answer

Below zero, you’d say:  
  На вулиці було мінус десять градусів.  
Above zero with emphasis on “plus” (though often omitted if context is clear):  
  На вулиці було плюс десять градусів.  
Often Ukrainians simply say десять градусів, trusting context to show it’s above zero.

Question 6

Can you change the word order? For example, Було десять градусів на вулиці—is that okay?

Accepted Answer

Ukrainian word order is quite flexible. Було десять градусів на вулиці is perfectly understandable. However, placing На вулиці first sets the scene more naturally (“Outside, it was ten degrees…”), which is the more common style.

Question 7

How would you ask “What is the temperature outside?” in Ukrainian?

Accepted Answer

A typical way is:  
  Яка температура на вулиці?  
Literally “What temperature is on the street?” You could also ask Скільки градусів на вулиці? (“How many degrees are outside?”).

Question 8

If you wanted to specify Celsius or Fahrenheit, how would you say it?

Accepted Answer

For Celsius, add за Цельсієм after the number:  
  На вулиці було десять градусів за Цельсієм.  
For Fahrenheit, use за Фаренгейтом:  
  На вулиці було шістдесят градусів за Фаренгейтом.

На вулиці було десять градусів.

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