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Breakdown of Петро забирає дитину з парку.
Петро
Petro
парк
the park
дитина
the child
з
from
забирати
to pick up
Questions & Answers about Петро забирає дитину з парку.
What exactly does забирає mean here, and how is it different from бере?
- 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.
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