Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Я тихо слухаю музику.

Because it’s the direct object of the verb. Ukrainian marks direct objects with the accusative case. The noun музика (feminine, ending in -а) changes to музику in the accusative singular. This -а → -у/-ю shift is the regular pattern: e.g., книга → книгу (“book”).

Do I need a preposition like “to” after слухати?

No. Слухати already means “to listen (to).” You say слухати щось (“listen to something”) with no preposition. Don’t add до: “слухати до музику” is wrong.

Can I drop the pronoun Я?

Yes. Ukrainian is “pro‑drop,” so Слухаю музику is fine if it’s clear from context who’s speaking. Keeping Я can add emphasis or clarity (e.g., contrast: “I, not someone else, am listening”).

Does this mean “I listen to music” or “I am listening to music”?

It can mean either. Ukrainian uses the simple present for both habitual and right‑now actions. If you want to make “right now” explicit, you can add зараз: Зараз я слухаю музику.

Where should the adverb тихо go?

Common options:

Я тихо слухаю музику.
Я слухаю музику тихо. Both are natural; word order mainly affects emphasis. Starting with Тихо я слухаю музику is possible for stylistic emphasis, but less neutral.

Am I saying the music is quiet, or that I am listening quietly?

Here тихо modifies how you listen: you are listening quietly (e.g., at low volume, not making noise). If you want to say the music itself is quiet/soft, use an adjective: Я слухаю тиху музику (“I listen to quiet/soft music”).

What’s the difference between слухати and чути?

слухати = to listen (intentional action: you choose to pay attention to sounds).
чути = to hear (perception happens to you). Examples: Я слухаю музику (I’m listening to music) vs Я чую музику (I can hear music).

Why is there no word for “am” (no separate “to be”)?

In the present tense, Ukrainian normally drops the verb бути (“to be”). Ongoing/progressive meaning is expressed by the present form of the main verb: слухаю covers “am listening.”

How would I say this with a perfective meaning or in the future?

Use the perfective послухати for a single, completed event:

Future (perfective): Я послухаю музику = I will listen (once/for a while). For an ongoing future, use the analytic future with the imperfective:
Я буду слухати музику = I will be listening / will listen (as a process). Past: Я слухав (m.) / Я слухала (f.).

How do you pronounce and stress the words?

Я: [ya].
ти́хо: stress on the first syllable; х = “kh” as in “Bach”; и = short “ih” (not “ee”).
слу́хаю: stress on слу́; у = “oo”; х = “kh.”
му́зику: stress on му́; и = “ih,” final у = “oo.”

Is я always capitalized like English “I”?

No. я is lowercase in Ukrainian, except at the beginning of a sentence (or in all caps). It’s not capitalized by default the way English “I” is.

What happens under negation—музику or музики?

Both occur:

Я не слухаю музику. Neutral “I’m not listening to music / I don’t listen to music.”
Я не слухаю музики. Genitive under negation, often felt as “I don’t listen to any music (at all).” The genitive can sound stronger or more categorical.

How do you conjugate слухати in the present?

я слухаю
ти слухаєш
він/вона/воно слухає
ми слухаємо
ви слухаєте
вони слухають

Is слухатися the same as слухати?

No. слухатися means “to obey” (someone): Я слухаюсь мами = “I obey my mom.” For listening to sounds/music, use слухати.

Are there synonyms or variants for тихо?

Yes: неголосно (“not loudly”), приглушено (“mutedly”), and the softer/diminutive тихенько / тихесенько (“very quietly”). Be careful with потихеньку—it usually means “little by little/gradually,” not simply “quietly.”

Why is there no “a/the” before “music”?

Ukrainian has no articles. Whether English would use “a/the” is inferred from context. музику here can correspond to “music,” “the music,” or “some music,” depending on the situation.