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Questions & Answers about Суп пахне апетитно.
Why is апетитно an adverb rather than an adjective?
In Ukrainian, adverbs modify verbs and adjectives modify nouns. Here апетитно describes how the soup пахне (smells), so it must be an adverb. It’s formed from the adjective апетитний by dropping -ний and adding -но (апетитний → апетитно).
What is the role of суп in this sentence, and why is it in the nominative case?
суп is the subject of the sentence (the thing doing the “smelling”), so it appears in the nominative case. In Ukrainian, the subject of an action is normally in the nominative.
What tense and person is пахне, and what does it mean?
пахне is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb пахнути (imperfective). пахнути is intransitive and means to emit or give off a smell. Thus суп пахне literally means the soup is giving off a smell (i.e. the soup smells).
How do you pronounce апетитно, and where is the stress?
The stress falls on the third syllable: a-pe-TIT-no ([ɑpʲeˈtɪtnɔ]). Make sure the і is [i] and the final о is [o].
What’s the difference between пахнути and нюхати?
пахнути is intransitive (“to give off a smell”), while нюхати is transitive (“to smell something” or “to sniff”).
Example:
• Суп пахне апетитно – the soup emits an appetizing smell.
• Я нюхаю суп – I am smelling/sniffing the soup.
Could I say суп апетитний instead? How would that differ?
Yes, суп апетитний (“the soup is appetizing”) is grammatically correct. However, суп пахне апетитно emphasizes the aroma—the smell itself is appetizing. суп апетитний is a broader statement about the soup’s overall quality, not specifically its fragrance.
How would you express “the soup smelled appetizing” in the past, and “the soup will smell appetizing” in the future?
Past tense (masculine): суп пахнув апетитно
Future imperfective: суп буде пахнути апетитно
Future perfective (simple future): суп запа́хне апетитно
How do you specify what something smells of using пахнути?
When naming the source of a smell after пахнути, use the instrumental case:
• пахне часником – smells of garlic
• пахне квітами – smells of flowers
• пахне хлібом – smells of bread
Is the word order flexible in Суп пахне апетитно, and can I front апетитно?
Ukrainian word order is fairly flexible. The neutral form is Суп пахне апетитно. You can front the adverb for emphasis: Апетитно пахне суп (stressing how it smells). However, пахне апетитно суп sounds awkward.