Breakdown of Коли автобус зупиняється на зупинці, я показую водієві квиток.
я
I
на
at
автобус
the bus
коли
when
квиток
the ticket
водій
the driver
зупинятися
to stop
зупинка
the stop
показувати
to show
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Ukrainian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Коли автобус зупиняється на зупинці, я показую водієві квиток.
Why is the verb зупиняється in the imperfective present tense and what does the -ся ending indicate?
In Ukrainian verbs come in pairs: зупинятися (imperfective) vs. зупинитися (perfective). Imperfective verbs form a present tense (here зупиняється = “stops” or “is stopping”) and express ongoing or habitual actions. The suffix -ся makes the verb reflexive/middle voice, meaning the subject performs the action on itself (the bus “stops itself”). Without -ся, зупиняти would be transitive (“to stop something”).
Why is the word зупинці in the locative case, and why do we use на instead of в here?
Зупинка is a feminine noun. To express location with the preposition на, Ukrainian takes the locative case: зупинці (“at the stop”). Generally на is used with open or surface locations (stops, stations, squares), while в/у is reserved for enclosed spaces.
Why is водієві in the dative case?
Ukrainian marks the person who receives or experiences something (the indirect object) with the dative. Here you are showing something “to the driver,” so водій becomes водієві in dative.
Why does квиток look the same in the nominative and accusative cases?
Квиток is a masculine inanimate noun. For inanimate masculine nouns the nominative and accusative forms coincide, so the direct object квиток remains identical to its nominative form.
Why is there a comma after зупинці, and what role does коли play in the sentence?
Коли is a subordinating conjunction meaning “when.” It introduces a temporal subordinate clause (Коли автобус зупиняється на зупинці). Ukrainian uses a comma to separate the subordinate clause from the main clause (“…я показую водієві квиток”).
Why do we use the imperfective verb показую (“I show”) instead of the perfective покажу (“I will show”)?
Показую is the present‐tense imperfective, suited for ongoing or habitual actions (“I show [habitually] my ticket”). The perfective показати has no present form and its future (я покажу) implies a one‐time, completed action (“I will show”). Since this sentence describes a routine, imperfective present is appropriate.
Can we omit the pronoun я in я показую?
Yes. Ukrainian verb endings already encode person and number, so Показую водієві квиток is fully correct. Including я adds emphasis or clarity but isn’t required.
Can we change the word order in this sentence without altering its meaning?
Yes. Ukrainian has flexible word order for nuance and emphasis. For example:
• Я показую водієві квиток, коли автобус зупиняється на зупинці.
• Показую водієві квиток, коли автобус зупиняється на зупинці.
Both convey the same basic idea, with slight shifts in focus.
What’s the difference between using коли and як (тільки) for “when/as soon as”?
Use коли for general or habitual “when” (“whenever the bus stops…”). Use як тільки for a specific or immediate moment (“as soon as”):
• Як тільки автобус зупиниться, я покажу водієві квиток.
Here you switch to the perfective зупиниться and future я покажу for a single upcoming action.