Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Петро забирає дитину з парку.

забирає (from забирати) means “takes away,” “collects,” or “picks up” from somewhere or from someone. It implies removing/collecting from a location or person: забирає дитину з парку = picks up the child from the park.
бере (from брати) is simply “takes” (picks up/holds/accepts) without the idea of removing from a place: бере книгу = takes a book.
Typical “pick up a child (from daycare/park)” in Ukrainian is with забирати/забрати.

What tense/aspect is забирає? Is it “is picking up” or “picks up”?

Забирає is present tense, imperfective aspect. It can mean:

Ongoing action now: “is picking up” (especially with a time adverb like зараз).
Habitual action: “picks up (regularly).” Aspect pair:
Imperfective: забирати → present: він/вона забирає, past: забира́в/забира́ла, future: буде забира́ти.
Perfective: забрати → past: забра́в/забра́ла, simple future: забере́ (“will pick up”).

Why does дитина become дитину?

It’s the accusative singular of a feminine noun ending in -а. In Ukrainian, most feminine -а/-я nouns take -у/-ю in the accusative singular:

Nominative: дитина (child)
Accusative: дитину (direct object after a transitive verb like забирати)

What case is з парку, and why?

З парку is genitive after the preposition з (“from/out of”). The noun парк declines to genitive singular парку, so:

“from the park” = з парку (Genitive).

Can I say від парку instead of з парку?

Usually no. Use:

з
- Genitive for “from (out of) a place”: з парку = from the park (leaving it).
від
- Genitive for “away from / from the vicinity of / from a person”: від парку до дому = from (the area near) the park to home; взяти щось від друга = take something from a friend.

Are other word orders possible, and do they change the meaning?

Yes, Ukrainian word order is flexible; changes affect emphasis/focus, not core meaning:

Neutral: Петро забирає дитину з парку.
Focus on the object: Дитину забирає Петро з парку.
Focus on the source: Петро забирає з парку дитину. Context/prosody clarifies what’s emphasized.

Where is the stress in this sentence? Any pronunciation tips?

Петро́ забира́є дити́ну з па́рку.
The preposition з before a voiceless consonant like п is often pronounced like [с], so you’ll commonly hear something close to “с па́рку,” though it’s always written з парку.

Are articles implied? Is it “the child” or “a child”?

Ukrainian has no articles. дитину can be “the child” or “a child,” decided by context. To specify “the/that,” add a demonstrative: цю дитину (this child), ту дитину (that child).

Could I use із or зі instead of з?

All mean “from,” but із/зі are chosen for euphony to avoid awkward clusters:

з парку is standard and smooth.
із or зі are preferred before certain clusters or sounds (e.g., зі школи, із зоопарку). Із парку is possible but less common than з парку.

How do I say it in the past or future?

Past (completed): Петро забра́в дитину з парку.
Future (one-time, completed): Петро забере́ дитину з парку.
Future (process/habit): Петро буде забира́ти дитину з парку.

What’s the plural for “children” here?

Nominative plural: діти (children)
Accusative/genitive plural: дітей Sentence: Петро забирає дітей з парку.

Is дитина grammatically feminine even if the child is a boy?

Yes. Дитина is grammatically feminine regardless of the child’s sex. Any agreeing adjectives/pronouns would be feminine: мала дитина, свою дитину.

How do I say “his child,” “her child,” or “his own child” here?

“his child”: Петро забирає його дитину.
“her child”: Петро забирає її дитину.
“his own child” (reflexive): Петро забирає свою дитину.
Note: свій/своя/своє/свої refers back to the subject (own).

Could I drop the object and just say Петро забирає з парку?

Only if the object is clear from context; otherwise it sounds incomplete. Normally you include the object: забирає дитину / дітей / брата etc.

Is there any danger in writing з парка?

Yes—парка is a different noun meaning “a parka (jacket).”
“from the park” must be з парку (Genitive of парк). З парка would read as “from the parka (coat).”

Any close synonyms to забирати in this context?

For “pick up/collect (a person)”: забирати is the default.
зустрічати = to meet (e.g., at a station), not to remove from a place.
підібирати/підібрати often means “pick up (from the ground/rescue),” not the routine “collect a child from somewhere.” Use забирати/забрати here.

How would I say “from the playground” or “from school” instead of “from the park”?

“from the playground”: з дитя́чого майда́нчика
“from school”: зі шко́ли (note зі for euphony)

How do I negate it?

Place не before the verb:

Петро не забирає дитину з парку. = Petro is not picking up/doesn’t pick up the child from the park.