Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Ми можемо поправити рецепт, щоб десерт був солодким. - We can adjust the recipe so that the dessert is sweet.

щоб is a conjunction meaning “so that” or “in order to.” It introduces a subordinate clause that expresses purpose or desired result. Here it links the main clause (Ми можемо поправити рецепт) with the goal (десерт був солодким).

Why is the verb поправити in the perfective aspect, rather than the imperfective поправляти?

Ukrainian verbs come in aspect pairs. поправити (perfective) denotes a one-time, completed action (“to adjust/fix once”), which fits “we can adjust the recipe (one time).” The imperfective поправляти would imply a repeated or ongoing process (“to keep adjusting”), which sounds odd with можемо in this context.

After щоб, why is the verb був in the past tense instead of the present є?

In Ukrainian, subordinate clauses introduced by щоб use the past-tense form of the verb (plus the subjunctive particle би, often omitted in colloquial speech) to express what English calls the subjunctive. You cannot say щоб десерт є солодкий; the correct pattern is щоб десерт був солодким.

Why is солодким in the instrumental case, not the nominative or another case?

Predicate complements with the verb бути (“to be”) take the instrumental case in Ukrainian. So “the dessert was sweet” becomes десерт був солодким, with солодким in instrumental singular masculine.

Why does рецепт look like the nominative form even though it’s the object (accusative)?

Singular masculine inanimate nouns have the same form in nominative and accusative. Grammatically рецепт is an accusative object of поправити, but it coincides in form with the nominative.

Why is there a comma before щоб?

Ukrainian orthography requires a comma before subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like щоб, marking the boundary between the main clause and its purpose/result clause.

Can we replace щоб with для того, щоб? Are there any differences?

Yes. для того, щоб literally means “for the purpose of …” and is more explicit or formal, but conveys the same meaning. E.g. Ми можемо поправити рецепт, для того, щоб десерт був солодким. The shorter щоб is more common in everyday speech.

Is it necessary to include ми at the beginning? What happens if we drop it?

You can omit ми because Ukrainian verbs are already conjugated for person and number (можемо tells you it’s “we”). Dropping it gives Можемо поправити рецепт, щоб десерт був солодким. Including ми adds emphasis or clarity on the subject.

How is поправити stressed? Where does the accent fall?

The stress is on the second syllable: по-ПРА-ви-ти (po-PRA-vy-ty).

Could we use another verb like відкоригувати or змінити instead of поправити? What nuances do they bring?

Yes. відкоригувати рецепт (“to correct/finetune the recipe”) is very similar, perhaps slightly more formal. змінити рецепт (“to change the recipe”) is broader and can imply more significant alterations. Each verb shifts the nuance of how you’re modifying the recipe.