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Questions & Answers about Цей місяць дуже складний.
Why is there no word meaning “is” in the sentence?
Ukrainian normally drops the present-tense verb “to be” (бути) in sentences like this. So Цей місяць дуже складний literally says “This month very difficult,” which is the standard way to say “This month is very difficult.”
- You can add є for emphasis or formality, often putting the adjective in the instrumental: Цей місяць є дуже складним.
- In the past and future, the verb is used: Цей місяць був дуже складним. / Наступний місяць буде дуже складним.
- A dash can also mark the link: Цей місяць — дуже складний.
What case and gender are the words here?
- місяць is masculine, singular, nominative (it’s the subject).
- цей is the masculine nominative form of “this,” agreeing with місяць.
- складний is a masculine nominative adjective (predicate), agreeing with місяць.
Why do both цей and складний end in -й?
They agree in gender, number, and case with the masculine singular noun місяць in the nominative. Masculine nominative forms of demonstratives and adjectives commonly end in -й: цей місяць, складний місяць.
Can I say it with the adverb instead: “This month, it’s very difficult”?
Yes, that’s a common impersonal pattern: Цього місяця дуже складно.
Here, цього місяця is genitive and means “this month (time frame),” and складно is an adverb meaning “it is difficult.” The nuance shifts from describing the month itself to describing the general situation during this month.
Is “Цей місяць дуже складно” correct?
No. Складно is an adverb and can’t serve as a predicate describing a noun. With a noun subject (місяць), use an adjective: складний. If you want the adverb, switch to the impersonal time-frame construction: Цього місяця дуже складно.
What’s the difference between складний and важкий/тяжкий?
- складний = “complex/complicated,” often about structure or many moving parts; by extension “challenging.”
- важкий/тяжкий = “heavy/hard,” often about burden, difficulty, or severity (emotionally or physically). Both can fit, but складний місяць suggests complications; важкий місяць suggests it’s been hard to endure.
How flexible is the word order?
Word order is flexible, with nuances of emphasis:
- Neutral: Цей місяць дуже складний.
- Emphatic fronting of the evaluation: Дуже складний цей місяць.
- Another neutral variant: Місяць дуже складний. (omits цей) Be careful: Цей дуже складний місяць is a noun phrase (“this very difficult month”), not a full sentence.
How do I pronounce it, and where is the stress?
Stress:
- Цей [tsei]
- мі́сяць (stress on the first syllable)
- ду́же (stress on the first syllable)
- складни́й (stress on the last syllable)
Pronunciation tips:
- ц = ts; ць is a slightly softened ts.
- я after a consonant softens it: ся ≈ sya with a soft s.
- и in складний is like a short, central-ish i [ɪ]. Approximate IPA: [t͡sej ˈmʲisʲɑt͡sʲ ˈduʒe sklɑdˈnɪj].
Why is it місяць “month,” but also Місяць “Moon”? Does context help?
Yes. місяць (lowercase) = “month.” Місяць (capitalized) = “the Moon” (the celestial body). In your sentence, цей місяць clearly means “this month.” Referring to the Moon would typically be capitalized or clarified by context.
Can I use a dash: “Цей місяць — дуже складний.”?
Yes. The dash is a stylistic way to mark the link between subject and predicate, often adding a slight pause or emphasis. It’s common in headlines or when you want to highlight the evaluation.
How would I make it negative, milder, or stronger?
- Negative: Цей місяць не дуже складний. (not very difficult) / Цей місяць не складний.
- Stronger: Цей місяць надзвичайно/вкрай складний.
- “Too” difficult: Цей місяць занадто складний.
- “Quite/fairly”: Цей місяць досить/доволі складний.
How do I form the plural or change the noun?
Agreement must remain:
- Plural: Ці місяці дуже складні. (these months are very difficult)
- Different genders:
- Feminine: Ця поїздка дуже складна.
- Neuter: Це завдання дуже складне.
Why is it цей and not ця/це/ці? What are the other forms of “this”?
It agrees with the noun’s gender and number:
- Masculine singular: цей (цей місяць)
- Feminine singular: ця (ця подія)
- Neuter singular: це (це питання)
- Plural (all genders): ці (ці дні)
For time expressions in genitive, you’ll see цього місяця (“this month [time frame]”).