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Questions & Answers about Сьогодні перше березня.
Why is березня in the genitive case instead of the nominative березень?
When giving dates in Ukrainian with an ordinal numeral, the month follows in the genitive case. The pattern is (ordinal numeral in nominative neuter) + (month in genitive), so березня (genitive) is correct.
What part of speech is перше, and why is it in the neuter?
Перше is an ordinal numeral (functioning like an adjective used as a noun). It stands in the nominative neuter singular because it agrees with the implied noun число (neuter). Basically, you’re saying «перше (число) березня».
Why is there no verb є (to be) in this sentence?
In the present tense Ukrainian copula є is typically omitted. Сьогодні перше березня is equivalent to Сьогодні є перше березня, but dropping є is more natural.
Why aren’t month names like березень capitalized in Ukrainian?
Unlike English, Ukrainian treats month names as common nouns, not proper nouns. Therefore they are written with a lowercase initial.
How do you ask someone “What is today’s date?” in Ukrainian?
You can say «Яке сьогодні число?» or «Яке сьогодні число місяця?». A typical answer is «Сьогодні перше березня.»
How would you write Сьогодні перше березня in numeric form?
Commonly as 01.03 (day.month) or 1.03. In formal contexts you might include the year: 01.03.2023.
Could you say першого березня instead of перше березня here?
No. Першого березня is a genitive (or locative) form of the ordinal numeral and requires a different sentence structure, e.g. «Першого березня я їду до Львова.» To state today’s date, you need the nominative neuter перше plus березня in genitive.