Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Я голодний після роботи.

In Ukrainian, the present-tense verb “to be” (є) is usually omitted in simple statements. So Я голодний literally reads “I hungry,” but it means “I am hungry.” You’d include є only for special emphasis or in certain formal/written styles, but in everyday speech here it sounds unnatural: prefer Я голодний, not Я є голодний.

Does the adjective change if the speaker is female or plural?

Yes—adjectives agree with the subject’s gender and number.

Male speaker: Я голодний.
Female speaker: Я голодна.
Group: Ми голодні.
Gender-neutral workaround: use the impersonal form: Мені голодно. (literally “To me it’s hungry.”)

Why is it роботи after після? What case is that?

The preposition після (“after”) always takes the genitive case. Роботи is the genitive singular of робота (“work, a job”). So після роботи = “after work.” Other examples:

після школи (after school)
після обіду (after lunch)
після дощу (after the rain)

What are the key forms of робота that matter here?

Nominative singular: робота (work, a job)
Genitive singular: роботи (used after після: “after work”)
Genitive plural: робіт (e.g., після робіт на дорозі = after the roadworks)

Note: після робіт means “after the works/repairs,” which is different from the everyday “after work” (після роботи).

Can I say після роботу?

No. Після must be followed by the genitive. Accusative роботу would be incorrect here. Correct: після роботи.

How do I pronounce it? Any quick tips?

A simple transliteration is: Ya holodnyi pislia roboty.

Ukrainian г is a voiced “h” sound (like English “h” but voiced), not a hard “g.”
я sounds like “ya.”
Final -и is like a short “i” [ɪ], not like English “ee.”
The л in після is softened by the following я.

Stress tips: голодний is stressed on the second syllable, після on the first. (You don’t need to change anything in spelling for stress.)

Is the word order fixed? Can I move “after work” to the front?

Word order is flexible and used for emphasis.

Neutral: Я голодний після роботи.
Emphasizing the time frame: Після роботи я голодний.
You can also say: Я після роботи голодний.

All are correct; choose the one that highlights what you want to emphasize.

What are natural alternatives to “I am hungry” in Ukrainian?

Impersonal feeling: Мені голодно (після роботи). (very common, also gender-neutral)
“I want to eat”: Я хочу їсти (після роботи).
“I got hungry” (result):
- Male: Я зголоднів після роботи.
- Female: Я зголодніла після роботи.

How do I make it stronger or softer (very/a bit hungry)?

Stronger: Я дуже голодний після роботи.
Softer: Я трохи голодний після роботи.
Completely not hungry: Я зовсім не голодний після роботи.

How do I negate it?

Place не before the adjective:

Male: Я не голодний після роботи.
Female: Я не голодна після роботи.
Impersonal: Мені не голодно після роботи.

Is “Я є голодний” ever okay?

It’s grammatically possible but sounds marked/unnatural in everyday speech. Use it only for strong contrast or in formal/written contexts. Normally, drop є: Я голодний. Note that є is natural in expressions of possession: У мене є час (I have time).

What’s the difference between після and потім or по роботі?

після + Genitive = “after (something)” as a time anchor: після роботи.
потім = “then/afterwards” (an adverb): Після роботи я піду додому, потім повечеряю.
по роботі = “for work/work-related”: Мені треба в Київ по роботі (I need to go to Kyiv for work). It does not mean “after work.”

Are there articles in Ukrainian? Do I need “the work” or “a work”?

Ukrainian has no articles. Після роботи already covers “after work,” with no “the/a.”

Does роботи mean “robots”?

Different word. “Robot” is робот; its genitive plural is роботів.

“After robots” would be після роботів (rare context).
Після роботи here is genitive singular of робота (“work”), meaning “after work.”

How do I say it in the past or future?

Add the verb “to be” in past/future and keep adjective agreement.

Past (male/female): Я був/була голодний/голодна після роботи.
Future (all genders): Я буду голодний/голодна після роботи.
Impersonal past/future: Мені було/буде голодно після роботи.