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Questions & Answers about Вона була сумною весь тиждень.
What does each word mean in this sentence?
- Вона — she (3rd person feminine singular pronoun)
- була — was (past tense, feminine singular of бути “to be”)
- сумною — sad (feminine singular, instrumental case of the adjective сумний)
- весь — all/entire (masculine singular)
- тиждень — week (masculine noun)
Why is сумною in the instrumental case and not the nominative (сумна)?
In Ukrainian, with бути (“to be”) in the past or future, the predicate adjective is commonly in the instrumental case to express a state/role: Вона була сумною, Він був учителем, Вона буде щасливою. This is the standard, especially in written or neutral style, and often highlights a temporary or resultant state.
Can I also say Вона була сумна?
Yes. Using the nominative (сумна) after past бути is also possible, especially in colloquial speech. Nuance:
- Інstrumental (була сумною) is more standard and can suggest a temporary or resultant state.
- Nominative (була сумна) sounds a bit more neutral/descriptive in everyday speech. Both are understood as “She was sad.”
What are the past-tense forms of бути and how do they agree?
- Masculine singular: був — Він був сумним
- Feminine singular: була — Вона була сумною
- Neuter singular: було — Воно було сумним
- Plural: були — Вони були сумними
Why is it весь тиждень and not всю тиждень?
Because тиждень (“week”) is masculine. Весь is the masculine form of “all.” The feminine form всю is used with feminine nouns, e.g., всю ніч (“all night”). Other forms: вся (fem), все (neut), всі (plural).
What case is тиждень here?
Accusative. Ukrainian often uses the accusative to express duration: весь тиждень (“all week”). Since тиждень is an inanimate masculine noun, its accusative form matches the nominative in shape. Compare:
- Masculine: весь день (accus. = nom.)
- Feminine: всю ніч (accus. differs from nom.)
Are there alternatives to весь тиждень and do they differ in style?
Yes:
- увесь тиждень — same meaning; у/в alternates for euphony.
- цілий тиждень — “the whole/entire week,” slightly more colloquial/emphatic.
- протягом тижня / упродовж тижня — “during the week,” a bit more formal; note the genitive тижня. Avoid the common mistake на протязі тижня for “during the week” (it literally means “in a draft/breeze”).
Can I omit була like in the present tense?
Not in the past. In the present, Ukrainian typically drops є: Вона сумна (“She is sad”). But for the past you must use була/був/було/були. Using є in such sentences is rare and stylistically marked; Вона є сумною sounds overly formal or bookish.
Can I change the word order, and does it change the meaning?
Word order is flexible; changes mainly affect emphasis:
- Вона була сумною весь тиждень — neutral.
- Вона весь тиждень була сумною — slight emphasis on the time span.
- Весь тиждень вона була сумною — strong focus on “all week.” Meaning stays the same: the emphasis shifts.
How do I say it if the week is still ongoing (has been sad all week up to now)?
Use a present-state or ongoing-activity phrasing:
- Вона вже весь тиждень сумна.
- Вона вже цілий тиждень сумує. These map well to English “has been sad (all week).” The original past form implies the period is viewed as completed.
How would this sentence change for different genders or plural?
- Masculine: Він був сумним весь тиждень.
- Neuter: Воно було сумним весь тиждень.
- Plural: Вони були сумними весь тиждень.
What’s the difference between using an adjective (сумною) and an adverb (сумно)?
- Adjective with бути: Вона була сумною — “She was sad” (describes her state).
- Impersonal adverb construction: Їй було сумно весь тиждень — “She felt sad all week” (literally, “It was sad to her,” with їй in the dative). Both are natural; the adverbial pattern is very common for feelings.
How do I negate this without changing the meaning?
Be careful with не placement:
- Вона не була сумною весь тиждень. — Often understood as “She wasn’t sad the whole week (at any point),” but can be ambiguous.
- To say “not the whole week,” move не to the time phrase or split the predicate:
- Вона була сумною не весь тиждень.
- Вона не весь тиждень була сумною. These mean “She was sad not for the entire week.”
Is печальний a good synonym for сумний here?
Generally no for a person’s mood. Печальний is used for things/situations that are “sad” or “sorrowful” (a печальна новина — sad news). For a person, use сумний/сумною, засмучений/засмученою (upset), пригнічений/пригніченою (depressed/overwhelmed), невеселий/невеселою (downcast).
Why does the adjective end with -ою in сумною?
It’s the standard instrumental feminine singular ending for adjectives after hard stems: веселою, новою, сумною. You’ll also see -ьою / -ею after soft stems or certain patterns (e.g., синьою from синя).
Does Ukrainian need an article like “the” in “the whole week”?
No. Ukrainian has no articles. The meaning “the whole/all week” is conveyed by весь тиждень without any article.
How would you transliterate the sentence?
Вона була сумною весь тиждень. → Vona bula sumnoyu ves’ tyzhden’.