Word
Я дивлюся відео на планшеті.
Meaning
I watch a video on the tablet.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Я дивлюся відео на планшеті.
What verb form is дивлюся?
It’s the 1st person singular present of the imperfective verb дивитися (to watch/look). So я дивлюся means “I watch / I am watching.” Other present forms: ти дивишся, він/вона дивиться, ми дивимося (дивимось), ви дивитеся (дивитесь), вони дивляться.
Why does the verb end in -ся?
The -ся is a reflexive/postfix that’s part of the verb дивитися. In many Ukrainian verbs, -ся doesn’t mean “oneself”; it’s simply built into the verb’s meaning. You can’t drop it here: дивити is a different verb (“to astonish”) and doesn’t mean “to watch.”
Can I say дивлюсь instead of дивлюся?
Yes. The contracted form -сь is common in speech and informal writing after a vowel: я дивлюсь, ми дивимось, ви дивитесь. Both versions are correct.
Does Ukrainian distinguish “I watch” vs. “I am watching”?
No—present tense covers both. Context does the work:
- Right now: Я зараз дивлюся…
- Habitually: Я зазвичай дивлюся…
Why doesn’t відео change its form?
Відео is an indeclinable neuter noun borrowed from English. It stays відео in all cases and numbers. To show singular vs plural, use determiners/adjectives:
- Singular: це відео цікаве
- Plural: ці відео цікаві
What case is планшеті and why?
It’s Locative (місцевий відмінок) singular: на планшеті = “on the tablet.” The preposition на takes the Locative when it expresses location.
Why на and not в/у?
For devices and surfaces, Ukrainian uses на: на планшеті, на телефоні, на комп’ютері. В/у means “in/inside,” so в планшеті would sound like “inside the tablet,” which isn’t what you mean.
Could I say на планшет instead of на планшеті?
No. На + Accusative (e.g., на планшет) indicates movement onto a surface (“onto the tablet”). For location (“on the tablet”), use на + Locative: на планшеті.
Is the object case of відео accusative here?
Yes. Дивитися takes a direct object in the Accusative, and відео (being indeclinable) looks the same in the Accusative as in the Nominative.
Can I drop the subject Я?
Yes. Ukrainian is a pro‑drop language. Дивлюся відео на планшеті is natural. Keeping Я adds emphasis to the subject.
How do I say “on my tablet”?
Use a possessive in the Locative:
- на моєму планшеті = on my tablet
- на своєму планшеті = on my (own) tablet; often preferred when the possessor is the subject.
How do I negate the sentence?
Place не before the verb: Я не дивлюся відео на планшеті.
How would I form the past and future?
- Imperfective (ongoing/habitual):
- Past: Я дивився / Я дивилася…
- Future: Я дивитимуся… or periphrastic Я буду дивитися…
- Perfective (completed action): подивитися
- Past: Я подивився / Я подивилася…
- Future: Я подивлюся…
Is there a difference between дивитися щось and дивитися на щось?
Yes:
- дивитися + Accusative = to watch something (video, movie, show): дивитися відео
- дивитися на + Accusative = to look at something (just look): дивитися на екран
Can I change the word order?
Yes, Ukrainian word order is flexible and used for emphasis:
- Neutral: Я дивлюся відео на планшеті.
- Emphasis on location: На планшеті я дивлюся відео.
- Emphasis on what: Відео я дивлюся на планшеті.
Any synonyms for дивитися here?
You can say переглядати відео (more formal/neutral “to view”) or, for completed action, переглянути відео.
How do I pronounce the tricky parts?
- дивлюся ≈ “dyv-LYU-sya” (with a soft “lyu”)
- планшеті ≈ “plahn-SHE-tee” (Ukrainian ш is like English “sh”)
Why is Я capitalized?
Only because it starts the sentence. The pronoun я is normally written in lowercase in Ukrainian.