Word
Він став лікарем після закінчення університету.
Meaning
He became a doctor after graduating from university.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Він став лікарем після закінчення університету.
What does став mean in this sentence?
The verb стати means “to become.” In він став лікарем it literally translates as “he became a doctor,” emphasizing the change of status.
Why is лікарем in the instrumental case instead of nominative?
In Ukrainian, after verbs that express becoming or turning into something (e.g., стати, залишитися, виявитися), the noun indicating the new role takes the instrumental case. So лікарем is the instrumental singular of лікар (“doctor”).
Could we say він був лікарем instead? What’s the difference?
Yes, він був лікарем means “he was a doctor,” which simply states his profession. Він став лікарем (“he became a doctor”) focuses on the moment or process of change.
What does після закінчення університету mean, and why is після followed by the genitive case?
Після means “after.” In Ukrainian, після governs the genitive case, so both закінчення (the gerundial noun “completion”) and університету (“university”) appear in genitive: “after the completion of university.”
Why is закінчення a noun here? Couldn’t we just use a verb?