Breakdown of Він підписався на журнал у метро.
у
in
він
he
на
to
підписатися
to subscribe
журнал
the magazine
метро
the subway
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Questions & Answers about Він підписався на журнал у метро.
Why does the verb підписався end with -ся?
The -ся suffix makes підписатися a reflexive (or middle-voice) verb, meaning “to subscribe.” Without -ся, підписав simply means “he signed (something).” In Ukrainian subscribing is inherently reflexive: you “sign yourself” up for something.
What does підписався на журнал literally mean, and why is на used?
Literally it’s “he signed himself onto the magazine.” The verb підписатися always takes на + accusative to indicate what you subscribe to. So підписався на журнал = “he subscribed to a magazine.”
Which case is журнал in, and why doesn’t it change its form?
After на with підписатися we need the accusative case. Журнал is masculine inanimate, so its accusative is identical to the nominative: журнал.
What is the function of у метро, and what case is used?
У here means “in” (location), and метро is indeclinable neuter, so its form stays метро in the prepositional case. У метро means “in the subway.”
Note: If you want to say “by subway” as in the mode of transport, you say на метро (“we go by subway”).
Why does the sentence include він? Can you omit it?
Ukrainian verbs already encode the subject in their endings. Підписався is 3rd person singular masculine, so you can drop він and still understand “he.” Including він adds emphasis or clarity, but it’s not grammatically required.
What aspect is підписався, and how would you say “he was subscribing” or “used to subscribe”?
Підписався is perfective, indicating a completed action (“he subscribed”). The imperfective form is підписувався, which you’d use for ongoing, habitual, or repeated actions:
• Він підписувався на журнал щомісяця. – “He used to subscribe to the magazine every month.”