Я розтоплюю масло в каструлі.

I melt butter in a pot.

Breakdown of Я розтоплюю масло в каструлі.

• я: I
• в: in
• каструля: the pot
• масло: the butter
• розтоплювати: to melt

Questions & Answers about Я розтоплюю масло в каструлі.

What is the infinitive form of the verb розтоплюю, and what is its aspect?

The verb розтоплюю is the first person singular present tense of the imperfective verb розтоплювати (to melt).

• Imperfective aspect means it describes an ongoing or repeated action.
• Its perfective counterpart is розтопити, which denotes completing the melting as a single, whole action.

Why is масло in the accusative case, and why does its form not change?

Масло is the direct object of the verb “розтоплюю,” so it takes the accusative case. Because масло is a neuter, inanimate noun, its accusative form is identical to its nominative form (масло).

Why is в каструлі in the locative case?

When indicating location (where something is happening), Ukrainian uses the locative case after the preposition в (in). The noun каструля (pot, saucepan) in the locative singular becomes каструлі, so в каструлі literally means “in a pot/saucepan.”

Why do we use в instead of у before каструлі?

Ukrainian alternates в and у before words to ease pronunciation:

• Use в before words beginning with a consonant cluster you can pronounce comfortably (e.g., в каструлі).
• Use у before vowel-initial words (e.g., у машині).

Can you omit the pronoun я in “Я розтоплюю масло в каструлі”?

Yes. Ukrainian verbs carry person and number endings, so розтоплюю already implies “I.” You can say simply Розтоплюю масло в каструлі, unless you want to emphasize the “I.”

What exactly does каструля mean, and how might you translate it?

Каструля is a feminine noun meaning “pot” or “saucepan.” It’s a deep cooking vessel used for boiling or simmering. In English you might translate в каструлі as “in the pot” or “in the saucepan.”

Could you use a different verb to say “I melt butter” in Ukrainian?

Yes. A more general verb is плавлю (from плавити, to melt). If you say Я плавлю масло в каструлі, it also means “I’m melting the butter in the pot.” However, розтоплюю is more specific to melting something solid into liquid.