Breakdown of Я читаю книгу в кав’ярні ввечері.
я
I
читати
to read
книга
the book
ввечері
in the evening
в
in
кав’ярня
the coffee shop
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Questions & Answers about Я читаю книгу в кав’ярні ввечері.
Why is книгу in this form?
Книга is a feminine noun meaning “book.” Here it is the direct object of читати (“to read”), so it takes the accusative case. The accusative singular of книга is книгу (ending -у).
What case is used in в кав’ярні, and why?
В кав’ярні uses the locative case, which is required after the preposition в meaning “in.” The locative singular of кав’ярня (“coffee shop”) is кав’ярні.
Why is there an apostrophe in кав’ярні?
The apostrophe shows a break between the consonant в and the iotated vowel я. In Ukrainian orthography, you place an apostrophe before я, ю, є, ї in loanwords or certain native words to indicate that the preceding consonant remains hard and the vowel is pronounced “ya.”
Why do we use в and not у before кав’ярні?
It’s a matter of euphony. Use в before words beginning with most consonants (here к), and у before words beginning with a vowel. Since кав’ярні starts with к, в кав’ярні sounds natural.
What part of speech is ввечері?
Ввечері is an adverb of time meaning “in the evening.” Although historically it came from в + вечорі (preposition + locative), it’s now treated and written as a single-word adverb.
Why are there no articles like “a” or “the” before книгу?
Ukrainian does not have definite or indefinite articles. You simply use the noun in its proper case to convey meaning; whether it’s “a book” or “the book” in English is determined by context, not by a separate word.
How do you pronounce читаю, and where is the stress?
Читаю is pronounced [chɪ-tá-ju], with the stress on the second syllable: чита́ю.
Do you have to include Я before читаю, or can it be dropped?
You can drop it. Ukrainian verbs carry subject information in their endings, so Читаю книгу в кав’ярні ввечері is perfectly clear as “I’m reading a book at the coffee shop in the evening.” Adding Я adds emphasis or clarity but isn’t grammatically required.
How is the verb читати conjugated in the present tense for “I”?
“Читати” is a first-conjugation verb. In the present tense the endings are:
• я чита́ю
• ти чита́єш
• він/вона чита́є
• ми чита́ємо
• ви чита́єте
• вони чита́ють
Here читаю is the form for “I read/am reading.”