Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Їй варто було б прийти раніше, інакше їй доведеться чекати в черзі. - She should come earlier; otherwise she will have to wait in the queue.

Їй is the dative form of вона (“she”), meaning “to her.” Ukrainian uses the dative with impersonal predicatives like варто and доведеться to mark the person affected.

Pattern: Комусь варто + infinitive; Комусь доведеться + infinitive.
Here: Їй варто … (“it’s advisable for her …”), їй доведеться … (“she will have to …”).

How does варто work, and how is it different from слід/треба/повинна/мусить?

Варто means “it’s worth/it’s advisable,” a gentle recommendation.

Слід = “one should,” neutral, somewhat formal.
Треба/потрібно = “it is necessary,” stronger necessity, impersonal.
Повинна/мусить = “she must/has to,” personal and stronger obligation. So варто is the softest suggestion here.

Why is було б used after варто? Is that a past tense?

Було б is the conditional (“would be”), used here to soften advice. It’s not about past time; it’s about politeness/hypothetical tone.

Їй варто прийти раніше = direct advice (“she should come earlier”).
Їй варто було б прийти раніше = softer, more tentative (“it would be advisable to come earlier”).
Їй варто було прийти раніше = past-looking, often implies regret (“she should have come earlier [but didn’t]”). Було is neuter because the construction is impersonal.

Is it okay that the first clause has було б (looks past) and the second has доведеться (future)?

Yes. Було б forms a conditional (politeness), not a true past. Доведеться is straightforward future necessity. Together: “It would be advisable … otherwise she will have to …” is fully natural.

Why прийти and not приходити?

Прийти is perfective (a single, completed arrival); it fits one-time advice for a specific occasion. Приходити (imperfective) would mean a habitual action.

Їй варто прийти раніше = for this/one occasion.
Їй варто приходити раніше = as a rule, generally/habitually.

Does раніше mean “earlier,” and how is it different from скоріше or швидше?

Раніше = earlier (in time): Прийди раніше.
Швидше = faster (in speed): Іди швидше.
Скоріше often means “rather/sooner (preference/likelihood)”: Скоріше за все, він прийде. Avoid скоріше for “earlier in time” in standard usage; use раніше.

Why is there a comma before інакше, and are there synonyms?

Інакше (“otherwise”) introduces another main clause, so a comma separates the two independent clauses. A common synonym is в іншому разі (“in that case/otherwise”).

…, інакше …
…, в іншому разі …

What exactly does доведеться mean and how is it used?

Доведеться is an impersonal verb meaning “will have to.” It takes a dative experiencer and an infinitive:

Кому доведеться + infinitive (Їй доведеться чекати). Tenses:
Present (habitual/ongoing): доводиться (“one has to”).
Past: довелося (“had to”).
Future: доведеться (“will have to”).

Do I have to repeat їй in the second clause?

Not necessarily. You can omit it if the referent is clear:

Їй варто було б прийти раніше, інакше доведеться чекати в черзі. Keeping it (… інакше їй доведеться …) is also fine and can add clarity or emphasis.

Why чекати в черзі and not чекати чергу?

Чекати typically governs a genitive direct object (чекати когось/чогось) or can be used with на + accusative (чекати на когось/щось). But with “queue,” you usually say “wait in a line”:

чекати в/у черзі (“wait in (the) line”)
стояти в/у черзі (“stand in line”) If you mean “wait for one’s turn,” say: дочекатися своєї черги.

What case is в черзі, and why черзі and not черга?

В черзі is the locative (prepositional) singular of черга (“queue”). Many -а/-я feminines change the stem consonant in the locative:

черга → в черзі (г → з before -і)
дорога → на дорозі
нога → на нозі
рука → у руці So в черзі is the correct locative form.

Why в черзі and not у черзі?

Both в and у mean “in.” Ukrainian alternates them for euphony (to avoid awkward clusters or vowel collisions).

After a vowel, в is common: чекати в черзі.
After a consonant or before another consonant, у often sounds smoother: стояти у черзі. Both are acceptable; choose what sounds natural in context.

Should it be прийти or приїхати?

Прийти = come/arrive (often on foot, or just “show up/attend”).
Приїхати = arrive by vehicle/come from afar. In many contexts of attending something, прийти is the default. Use приїхати if you want to emphasize arrival by transport.

Чекати vs почекати?

Чекати (imperfective) = to wait (open-ended, process).
Почекати (perfective) = to wait for a while / to complete the waiting. Here, доведеться чекати в черзі is standard; почекати would imply “just wait a bit,” which may or may not fit the situation.

Where does the particle б go, and what about б vs би?

The conditional particle б/би is an enclitic that usually follows the word it modifies (often the verb).

Було б краще…; Я б пішов… For euphony, Ukrainian prefers:
б after a vowel: було б, вона б
би after a consonant: ти би сказав (though ти б is also heard) Keep it close to the verb or the emphasized word; don’t place it at the very start of the sentence.

What are some natural alternative ways to say this?

Їй варто прийти раніше, в іншому разі їй доведеться стояти в черзі.
Їй слід прийти раніше, інакше вона муситиме чекати в черзі.
Краще їй прийти раніше, інакше доведеться довго чекати в черзі.