Breakdown of Я отримав листівку з іншого міста.
я
I
місто
the city
отримати
to receive
з
from
інший
another
листівка
the postcard
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Questions & Answers about Я отримав листівку з іншого міста.
What does Я отримав листівку з іншого міста mean in English?
It literally means I received a postcard from another city.
- Я = I
- отримав = received (past tense, I have obtained it)
- листівку = postcard (accusative case)
- з іншого міста = from another city
What is the form and meaning of отримав?
отримав is the past tense, masculine singular, perfective form of the verb отримати (to receive).
- Perfective aspect indicates a single, completed action.
- If the speaker were female, it would be отримала.
Why not use the imperfective отримував instead of отримав?
Imperfective отримував suggests a habitual or ongoing action (e.g. “I was receiving postcards”). Here you mean one completed event—“I got the postcard”—so you use the perfective отримав.
Why is листівка changed to листівку?
In Ukrainian, direct objects take the accusative case.
- листівка is a feminine noun.
- Its accusative singular ending is -у, so листівка → листівку.
How do we decide between using з and від to mean “from”?
- з (or із before vowels or certain consonants) is used with places or things to indicate origin (e.g. з дому, з полиці, з іншого міста).
- від is used with people or to express “away from” or “protection from” (e.g. від друга = from a friend, від холоду = from the cold).
Why is іншого міста in the genitive case?
The preposition з requires the genitive case for its object.
- місто (neuter noun) → genitive singular міста.
- The adjective інший must agree in gender, number, and case, so it becomes іншого (genitive singular).
Could we change the word order without changing the meaning?
Yes. Ukrainian word order is flexible. For example:
- Листівку я отримав з іншого міста. (Emphasizes листівку)
- Я з іншого міста отримав листівку. (Emphasizes the origin)
Meaning stays the same; only the focus shifts.
Why are there no articles like “a” or “the” in this sentence?
Ukrainian does not use definite or indefinite articles. Context tells you whether something is “a” or “the.” Here листівку could mean either “a postcard” or “the postcard,” depending on what you’ve already mentioned.