Я дізнався курс валюти від банкіра.

I learned the exchange rate from the banker.

Breakdown of Я дізнався курс валюти від банкіра.

• я: I
• дізнатися: to learn
• від: from
• курс валюти: the exchange rate
• банкір: the banker

Questions & Answers about Я дізнався курс валюти від банкіра.

What is the main verb in this sentence and what does it mean?

The main verb is дізнався, the masculine singular past tense of дізнатися. It means “to find out,” “to learn,” or “to get to know” a piece of information.

Why is курс валюти used here instead of валютний курс?

Both курс валюти and валютний курс are correct and interchangeable:

• курс валюти literally “rate of the currency” (noun + genitive).
• валютний курс is an adjectival form “currency rate.”
  The first pattern (noun + genitive) is very common in Ukrainian.

Which case is курс валюти in, and why?

Курс валюти is the direct object of дізнався, so курс is in the accusative case. Because курс is an inanimate masculine noun with no stem change, its accusative form looks identical to the nominative. The word валюти is in the genitive case to show possession/relationship (“rate of the currency”).

Why is банкіра in the genitive case?

The preposition від (“from”) always takes the genitive case in Ukrainian. So банкір (nominative) becomes банкіра (genitive) after від.

Could I say я дізнався від банкіра курс валюти?

Yes. Ukrainian word order is relatively flexible:

• Я дізнався курс валюти від банкіра.
• Я дізнався від банкіра курс валюти. Both mean “I found out the exchange rate from the banker.” The emphasis shifts slightly depending on word order.

Can I use a different verb instead of дізнався?

Yes. A few options:

• я почув (“I heard”) – more colloquial, implying you heard it in conversation.
• я отримав інформацію про (“I received information about”) – more formal.
• я дізнався про курс валюти від банкіра – you can add про
  • accusative if you want дізнатися про щось (“to learn about something”).

What’s the difference between дізнатися and знати?

• дізнатися (perfective) = “to find out” or “to come to know” a specific fact at a specific time.
• знати (imperfective) = “to know” in general, an ongoing state of knowledge.
  E.g., Я знаю курс валюти means “I know the exchange rate” (already know it); Я дізнався курс валюти means “I just found out the exchange rate.”

Could I replace від банкіра with у банкіра?

Yes, but there is a slight nuance:

• від банкіра = you obtained the info directly from the banker, “from” him.
• у банкіра = you got the info while you were at the banker’s (like “at the banker’s office”). It still takes genitive after у when indicating a person.

Why are there no articles like “the” or “a” in this sentence?

Ukrainian does not have articles (no equivalents of “the” or “a”). Definiteness and indefiniteness are either understood from context or expressed through other means (word order, demonstratives, etc.).

Is this sentence formal or informal?

This sentence is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. If you wanted to be more formal, you could say я отримав від банкіра інформацію про курс валюти (“I received from the banker information about the exchange rate”).