Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Опівдні офіціант приносить наш обід.

о дванадцятій (годині) = at twelve (o’clock)
опівночі = at midnight Note: південь in Ukrainian can mean both “south” and “noon”; here it means “noon.”

Why is опівдні written as one word? Can I write о півдні?

Both are used. The fused adverb опівдні is very common and stylistically neutral. You may also see о півдні (“at noon,” with the preposition о + locative), but the one-word form is standard in modern usage.

Do I need a comma after the initial time word?

No. Ukrainian normally omits a comma after a short fronted time adverbial: Опівдні офіціант приносить наш обід. English often inserts a comma, but Ukrainian doesn’t here.

What does the present tense приносить convey here?

It’s the imperfective present, usually read as a habitual or scheduled action: “(typically/regularly) brings.” For a single, one-time future event, use the perfective: принесе (“will bring [once]”).

How would I say “The waiter will bring our lunch at noon (once)”?

Опівдні офіціант принесе наш обід. (perfective future, single occurrence)

Why is it наш обід and not нашого обіду?

Because обід is inanimate masculine. In Ukrainian, the accusative singular of inanimate masculine nouns (and their agreeing pronouns/adjectives) equals the nominative: наш обід. For animate masculine, the accusative matches the genitive: e.g., нашого брата.

Can I add “us,” like in “brings us our lunch”?

Yes. Use the dative pronoun нам: Офіціант приносить нам наш обід. Word order is flexible: нам can appear before or after the verb for emphasis.

Where can I put the time expression? Is the word order fixed?

Word order is flexible and used for emphasis. All of these are correct:

Опівдні офіціант приносить наш обід. (neutral)
Офіціант опівдні приносить наш обід.
Офіціант приносить наш обід опівдні. Fronted elements are highlighted by position.

What’s the masculine/feminine for “waiter”? Does the verb change?

Masculine: офіціант
Feminine: офіціантка The verb form doesn’t change for gender in the present: Офіціантка приносить наш обід.

How do I pronounce the sentence? Where are the stresses?

Stresses: опі́вдні офіціа́нт прино́сить на́ш о́бід.

опі́вдні: stress on пі́в; the cluster дн is palatalized [dnʲ].
офіціа́нт: stress on -а́нт.
прино́сить: stress on но́.
о́бід: stress on о́. Approximate transliteration: opívdni ofitsiánt prynósyt nash óbid.

What’s the aspect pair for приносити? And basic conjugation?

Aspect pair: приносити (imperfective) / принести (perfective).
Present: я приношу, ти приносиш, він/вона приносить, ми приносимо, ви приносите, вони приносять.
Perfective future: я принесу, він/вона принесе, вони принесуть.

Does Ukrainian use articles like “the” in “the waiter”?

No articles. Офіціант can mean either “a waiter” or “the waiter,” depending on context. Possessives like наш or prior mention make it definite.

Could I drop наш? What would change?

Yes. Офіціант приносить обід = “The waiter brings lunch” (generic/unspecified). Наш specifies whose lunch it is.

Is наш ever wrong here because the subject is “the waiter”? Should it be свій?

Use наш. Свій is reflexive and refers back to the subject’s own possession. Офіціант приносить свій обід would mean “The waiter brings his own lunch,” which is a different meaning.

What’s the difference between обід, ланч, and вечеря?

обід: the main midday meal (lunch).
ланч: a lighter, Western-style “lunch/snack” in some contexts.
вечеря: the evening meal (dinner/supper).

How do I say “at lunchtime” versus “for lunch”?

“At lunchtime”: в обід (during the lunch period) or опівдні if you mean exactly noon.
“For lunch”: на обід. Example: Що ти готуєш на обід? (“What are you making for lunch?”)

How would I negate the sentence?

Insert не before the verb: Опівдні офіціант не приносить наш обід. The object remains in the accusative; Ukrainian doesn’t force a genitive under negation here.