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”?