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Questions & Answers about Миска стоїть на столі.
What case is the noun миска in and why?
миска is in the nominative singular case because it functions as the subject of the verb стоїть.
What case is столі in and why is the locative case used here?
столі is in the locative singular. After the preposition на (meaning “on”), Ukrainian uses the locative case to express a stationary location.
Why do we use the preposition на here instead of в/у?
на means “on” or “upon” a surface, while в/у means “in” or “inside.” Since the bowl is on top of the table, we use на.
Why is the verb стоїть used here? Could we say лежить instead?
стоїть literally means “stands” (upright). лежить means “lies” (flat). A bowl sits upright on a table, so стоїть is the natural choice.
How do you pronounce Миска стоїть на столі, and where are the stresses?
Stress falls on МИ in миска, on ЇТЬ in стоїть, and on ЛІ in столі. Approximate pronunciation:
MEE-ska sto-YEET na sto-LEE.
Can we change the word order, and does it affect the meaning?
Yes. For example: На столі стоїть миска. Ukrainian has flexible word order. Placing на столі first emphasizes “on the table,” while the meaning remains “The bowl is on the table.”
Why isn’t there an equivalent of the or a before миска?
Ukrainian does not have definite or indefinite articles. You simply say миска; context tells you if it’s “a bowl” or “the bowl.”
How would you ask “Where is the bowl?” in Ukrainian?
Ask Де миска? (Where is the bowl?) The answer is Миска стоїть на столі.