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Questions & Answers about Ніхто не приходить вчасно.
What is the function of the word Ніхто in this sentence?
Ніхто is a negative indefinite pronoun meaning “no one” or “nobody.” It serves as the subject of the sentence but carries a negative meaning, so it always pairs with the negative particle не on the verb.
Why do we need the particle не before приходить if Ніхто is already negative?
In Ukrainian, negative pronouns like ніхто, ніщо, ніколи require double negation. You must put не before the verb to form a grammatically correct negative sentence. Omitting не would make the sentence ungrammatical.
Why is the verb приходить in the present tense and imperfective aspect? Could we use a perfective form?
The present imperfective приходить describes a habitual or general action: “nobody ever arrives on time.” If you want to talk about a single completed event in the past, you would use the perfective past tense: Ніхто не прийшов вчасно (“Nobody came on time [on that occasion]”).
How do we know that вчасно is an adverb, and what does it exactly mean?
вчасно is an adverb meaning “on time” or “punctually.” It comes from the adjective вчасний (timely) plus the adverbial ending -о. As an adverb, it does not change for gender or number.
Why is the verb in the third-person singular (приходить), not plural?
Although ніхто refers to “no people,” it is grammatically singular. The verb agrees with the singular pronoun, so we use приходить (he/she arrives) rather than приходять.
Can we change the word order, for example: Не приходить ніхто вчасно?
Yes. Ukrainian allows some flexibility in word order for emphasis. Leading with the verb (“Не приходить…”) puts extra stress on the action, but the overall meaning remains “nobody arrives on time.”
Could we express “nobody is late” instead, and if so, how?
Yes. “Nobody is late” is the opposite idea. You’d say Ніхто не спізнюється. Here спізнюється comes from the verb спізнюватися (to be late), also in the third-person singular present.
How would you say “everyone arrives on time”?
To express the positive counterpart, use the pronoun всі (everyone) and remove the negation: Всі приходять вчасно (“Everyone arrives on time”).