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Questions & Answers about Працювати вдома зручно.
Why is there no subject like “it” in this sentence?
Ukrainian often uses impersonal sentences where an action (an infinitive) functions as the subject and an adverb states how/what it’s like. So Працювати (to work) is the “subject idea,” and зручно (conveniently) describes it. There’s no need to add an explicit “it.”
Where is the verb “to be”? Why isn’t there something like “is”?
In the present tense, Ukrainian typically omits є (is). You can add it for emphasis or formality, but here it would sound bookish: Працювати вдома є зручно. A more natural emphatic option is: Працювати вдома — це зручно.
Why is it зручно and not an adjective like зручне?
Зручно is an adverb (ending -о), used in impersonal statements with an infinitive. An adjective like зручне would agree with a neuter noun (e.g., зручне крісло “a comfortable chair”) and doesn’t fit this structure.
Can I change the word order?
Yes, with slight shifts in emphasis:
- Зручно працювати вдома. (Emphasis on how it is: convenient.)
- Вдома працювати зручно. (Emphasis on the location: at home.) All are grammatical; the original is the most neutral.
Does вдома mean “at home” or “in the house”? How is it different from у домі/в домі or у будинку?
- Вдома is an adverb meaning “at home” (one’s home), the best match for the idea of working at home.
- У домі/в домі = “in the house” (inside a house as a building), not necessarily your home and less idiomatic for WFH.
- У будинку = “in the building/house,” focusing on the physical structure.
Is вдома one word? Can I write в дома?
It’s one word: вдома. Don’t split it.
Is вдома the same as з дому?
No:
- вдома = “at home.”
- з дому = “from home.” For “work from home,” Ukrainians often say працювати з дому, while працювати вдома stresses being physically at home while working.
Can I use удома or дома instead of вдома?
- Вдома and удома are both standard; choice depends on euphony (sound flow). Standing alone, вдома is more common.
- Дома (without в/у) is colloquial/regionally influenced; avoid it in careful speech.
How do I make it personal, like “It’s convenient for me to work at home”?
Use the dative for the person:
- Мені зручно працювати вдома. (for me) You can swap in other datives: тобі, йому, їй, нам, вам, їм.
How do I negate it?
Use незручно:
- Працювати вдома незручно. If contrasting, you can separate: Працювати вдома не зручно, а складно.
How do I say “more convenient” or “most convenient”?
- Comparative: зручніше — Працювати вдома зручніше, ніж в офісі.
- Superlative: найзручніше — Так працювати найзручніше.
Is працювати an infinitive? Is this like English “-ing” (gerund)?
Yes, працювати is the infinitive. Ukrainian often uses the infinitive where English uses a gerund:
- Курити шкідливо. = “Smoking is harmful.”
- Подорожувати цікаво. = “Traveling is interesting.”
Can I use a dash here?
Yes, to add emphasis or clarity:
- Працювати вдома — зручно.
- Працювати вдома — це зручно. Both are stylistically acceptable.
How do I turn this into a yes–no question?
Two common ways:
- Intonation only: Працювати вдома зручно?
- With чи: Чи зручно працювати вдома?
What’s the nuance of зручно versus комфортно?
- Зручно leans toward convenience/practicality (“handy, efficient”).
- Комфортно focuses on physical/psychological comfort. Depending on what you mean, you might say Працювати вдома комфортно to stress comfort, or … зручно to stress convenience.
Pronunciation and stress, please.
- Stressed syllables: працюва́ти вдо́ма зру́чно.
- Rough transliteration: pratsiuváty vdóma zrúchno. Tips: ц = ts; ч = ch; the cluster вд in вдома is pronounced quickly as “vd.”