Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: У кафе поганий зв’язок; принаймні, повідомлення приходять. - The connection is bad in the cafe; at least messages arrive.

Yes, both у and в are the same preposition (“in/at”). Ukrainian alternates them for euphony. At the beginning of a sentence, speakers often choose у—especially before a consonant like к in кафе—because в кафе creates a harder cluster. You can say В кафе too; it just sounds a bit clunkier here.

Use у when a neighboring word would make в hard to pronounce (before consonant clusters or another в/ф).
Use в when the next word begins with a vowel or between vowels.

What case is кафе in, and why doesn’t it change form?

It’s in the Locative (Місцевий) because у/в expresses location. The noun кафе is an indeclinable neuter loanword, so its form stays кафе in all cases. You see the case relation via the preposition and modifiers, not the noun ending:

у цьому кафе (in this cafe)
до кафе (to the cafe)
з кафе (from the cafe)

Does у кафе mean “in the cafe” or “at the cafe”?

Both are possible translations. In Ukrainian, у кафе normally implies being at/inside the venue. If you mean “near the cafe,” use біля кафе or перед кафе.

Is зв’язок the right word for phone reception?

Yes. зв’язок is the standard word for “connection” or “signal” in this context. Common collocations:

поганий/слабкий зв’язок = poor/weak reception
немає зв’язку = no reception
якість зв’язку = connection quality You might also hear сигнал (signal) or, for mobile network, мережа (network).

Why is there an apostrophe in зв’язок, and how do I type it?

The apostrophe shows a separation before я, so it’s pronounced [zvya-], not as a softened consonant. Without it (звязок) is a spelling error. Typing:

Preferred: the curly apostrophe ’ (as in зв’язок).
Acceptable in plain text: straight apostrophe ' (зв'язок). Most Ukrainian keyboards have a dedicated apostrophe key.

Why a semicolon here? Could I use a comma, period, or dash instead?

The two clauses are independent but closely related, so a semicolon is appropriate. Alternatives:

Period: stronger break — У кафе поганий зв’язок. Принаймні, повідомлення приходять.
Dash: more contrast/emphasis — У кафе поганий зв’язок — принаймні, повідомлення приходять.
A bare comma would be incorrect unless you add a conjunction: ..., але принаймні ...

Do I need the comma after принаймні?

It’s optional and stylistic. At the start of a clause, принаймні often acts like a parenthetical particle and is set off by a comma: Принаймні, .... You’ll also see it without a comma when it functions more as a straightforward adverb: Принаймні повідомлення приходять. Both are acceptable.

Can I use хоча б or щонайменше instead of принаймні?

принаймні = “at least” in neutral statements (fits perfectly here).
щонайменше ≈ “at least/at the very least,” a bit more formal or used with numbers: щонайменше два повідомлення.
хоча б often expresses a wish/minimum requirement: Хоча б повідомлення приходили! In matter-of-fact statements, it can work but may sound more evaluative than принаймні.

Why does повідомлення look singular? How do I know it’s plural?

Neuter nouns in -ння have the same form in Nominative singular and plural. You tell the number from context and verb agreement:

Singular: повідомлення приходить (one message comes)
Plural: повідомлення приходять (messages come) With quantities you’ll see other forms: багато повідомлень (many messages).

Why приходять? Could I say надходять or доходять?

All can be used, with nuance:

приходять — everyday, general “come/arrive.”
надходять — “come in,” often used for mail, emails, system messages; slightly more formal/technical.
доходять — “make it through/reach (the destination),” emphasizing successful delivery. In your sentence, приходять is colloquial and natural.

Could I say Приходять повідомлення instead of Повідомлення приходять?

Yes. Ukrainian word order is flexible.

Повідомлення приходять presents “messages” as the topic.
Приходять повідомлення highlights the arrival as the new or emphasized information. Both are grammatical; choose based on what you want to emphasize.

Can I say У кафе зв’язок поганий instead of У кафе поганий зв’язок?

Yes. Both are fine.

поганий зв’язок (Adj + N) sounds a bit more neutral/descriptive.
зв’язок поганий (N + predicative Adj) frames “the connection” as the topic with a comment about its quality.

Is зв’язок countable? Why not plural зв’язки?

For signal/reception, зв’язок is typically uncountable: поганий зв’язок, немає зв’язку. The plural зв’язки means “connections/contacts/links (social ties),” not signal quality. If needed, quantify via another noun: якість зв’язку, рівень зв’язку.

How do I pronounce the tricky words here?

кафе́ — stress on the last syllable.
зв’язо́к — stress on the last syllable; clear [zvʲa-].
прина́ймні — stress on най.
повідо́млення — stress on до́м.
прихо́дять — stress on хо́; final -ть is soft.

Any alternative ways to phrase the second clause?

Yes, depending on tone/register:

Принаймні повідомлення надходять. (a bit more formal/technical)
Принаймні повідомлення доходять. (they do get through)
Принаймні, повідомлення приходять усе ж. (adds “after all” emphasis)