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Questions & Answers about Я спраглий після пробіжки.
Why is there no verb “am” in Я спраглий після пробіжки?
In Ukrainian, the present-tense verb бути (to be) is usually omitted. So Я спраглий literally reads “I thirsty,” but it means “I am thirsty.” Avoid saying Я є спраглий—that sounds unnatural in this context. Use є mainly for existence or possession (e.g., У мене є вода “I have water”) or in special emphatic contexts, not for simple predicate adjectives in the present.
How would a woman say this?
Adjectives agree with the speaker’s gender:
- Male: Я спраглий після пробіжки.
- Female: Я спрагла після пробіжки.
- Plural (we/you/they): Ми/Ви/Вони спраглі після пробіжки.
Why is it після пробіжки and not після пробіжка?
The preposition після (“after”) always takes the genitive case. Пробіжка (a jog/run) in the genitive singular is пробіжки. More examples:
- після роботи (after work)
- після уроку (after the lesson)
- після тренування (after the training)
- після бігу (after running)
Can I say “after running” instead of “after a run”?
Yes:
- після пробіжки = after a run/jog (a specific session)
- після бігу = after running (the activity in general)
- You might also see після пробігу, which can mean after a (timed/organized) run or after covering a distance; note that пробіг also means “mileage.” For everyday “jog,” пробіжка is the most natural.
Is спраглий the most common way to say “thirsty”?
It’s perfectly correct and common, but in casual speech many people simply say:
- Я хочу пити. (I want to drink / I’m thirsty.)
- More neutral/impersonal: Мені хочеться пити. Use спраглий/спрагла when you want the adjective “thirsty,” and хочу пити when speaking informally.
How do I pronounce it? Where is the stress?
Stress and rough guide:
- Я спра́глий пі́сля пробі́жки.
- Approximate pronunciation: [ja ˈsprɑɦlɪj ˈpislʲa proˈbʲiʒkɪ] Key sounds:
- г = a voiced “h” [ɦ], not an English “g”
- ж = [ʒ], like “s” in “measure”
- и = [ɪ], like “i” in “bit”
- і = [i], like “ee” in “see”
- Ending -ий ≈ [ɪj] (“-yi”)
Can I change the word order?
Yes. Ukrainian word order is flexible. These are all natural:
- Я спра́глий пі́сля пробі́жки.
- Пі́сля пробі́жки я спра́глий.
- Я пі́сля пробі́жки спра́глий. (fine, slightly more marked) The meaning doesn’t change; word order mainly affects emphasis.
How do I ask this as a yes/no question?
You can rely on intonation or use the particle чи:
- Informal: Ти спраглий після пробіжки? / to a woman: Ти спрагла…?
- Polite/plural: Ви спраглі після пробіжки?
- More formal: Чи ти спраглий після пробіжки? / Чи Ви спраглі…?
How do I make it stronger, like “really thirsty/so thirsty”?
Add an intensifier before the adjective:
- Я дуже спраглий. (I’m very thirsty.)
- Я страшенно спраглий. (I’m terribly/awfully thirsty.)
- Я неймовірно спраглий. (I’m incredibly thirsty.)
How do I negate it?
Place не before the adjective:
- Male: Я не спраглий.
- Female: Я не спрагла. You can also negate the want: Я не хочу пити. (I don’t want to drink.)
How do I say it in the past or future?
Use forms of бути:
- Past (male/female): Я був спраглий / Я була спрагла після пробіжки.
- Future (all genders): Я буду спраглий/спрагла/спраглі після пробіжки. Note: With past/future, Ukrainian often allows the instrumental to emphasize a temporary state: Я був спраглим / Я була спраглою, but the nominative (спраглий/спрагла) is perfectly fine and common.
Why is it spelled пробіжки with -и, not пробіжкі with -і?
Because it’s the genitive singular ending -и for feminine nouns in -ка, and Ukrainian orthography prefers и (not і) in many endings/suffixes after the consonants ж, ч, ш, щ, г, к, х. So: пробі́жка → пробі́жки.
Can I drop the pronoun and just say Спраглий після пробіжки?
In full sentences, keep Я: Я спраглий… Since Ukrainian omits the present “to be,” the pronoun helps identify the subject. Спраглий після пробіжки is possible as a clipped/elliptical style (e.g., headlines, notes), but in normal speech it sounds incomplete.
How do I say “We’re thirsty after runs (in general)” vs “after the run (today)”?
- Specific run (today’s session): Ми спраглі після пробіжки. (singular, one shared event)
- In general, after runs: Ми спраглі після пробіжок. (genitive plural of пробіжка = пробіжок)