Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Чи не могли б Ви пояснити різницю між цими словами? - Could you formal please explain the difference between these words?

Чи is a question particle that marks a yes–no question. In polite requests like this, it’s optional. All of these are idiomatic, with slightly different tones:

Чи не могли б Ви…? very polite, a bit formal
Не могли б Ви…? very common and polite
Могли б Ви…? polite, a touch more direct So, you can safely drop чи without changing the meaning much.

Why is there a negative не in не могли б if I’m asking for a favor?

Using a negative question softens the request in Ukrainian (just like “Couldn’t you…” in English). Чи не могли б Ви… feels especially courteous and non-imposing. The positive Чи могли б Ви… is also polite, just a bit more straightforward.

What does the particle б/би do in могли б?

Б/би forms the conditional mood (“would/could”). Without it, могли is just past tense (“were able”). With it, могли б = “could/would be able to,” which is the standard way to make a polite request. Euphony rule:

Use б after a word ending in a vowel: могли б, я б.
Use би after a word ending in a consonant: він би.

Why is Ви capitalized?

Capitalized Ви/Вас/Вам/Вами is a respectful form when addressing one person (like “You” in formal letters). It’s common in emails, letters, or polite requests. In casual chat or when addressing several people, you’ll usually see lowercase ви.

Why is могли plural if I’m talking to one person?

Because Ви takes plural verb forms even for a single addressee (polite “you”). So:

Formal/respectful: Ви могли б…
Informal singular: Ти міг би… (to a male), Ти могла б… (to a female)

Is it okay to say Чи могли б Ви… (without не) or just Не могли б Ви…? Any difference?

Both are fine and polite. Не могли б Ви… is extremely common and a touch softer. Чи могли б Ви… is also polite; it can sound slightly more direct or neutral. In practice, both are used interchangeably.

Can I start with Могли б Ви… without Чи?

Yes. Могли б Ви пояснити…? is perfectly natural. Adding Чи makes it sound a bit more formal; leaving it out is common in speech and writing.

Why is the infinitive пояснити used instead of пояснювати?

Requests for a single, completed action prefer the perfective infinitive пояснити (“to explain [once/completely]”). The imperfective пояснювати suggests an ongoing or repeated process and sounds odd here.

What case is різницю, and why?

Різницю is accusative singular (from різниця) because it’s the direct object of пояснити. Think “explain what? — the difference.”

Why is it між цими словами? Which case does між take?

Між (“between”) governs the instrumental case in modern Ukrainian. Hence:

ці (nom. pl.) → цими (instr. pl.)
слово (nom. sg.) → словами (instr. pl.) So, між цими словами is the correct form.

Can I use поміж instead of між?

Yes, поміж is a stylistic variant of між. It’s a bit more literary/poetic but perfectly correct: поміж цими словами. It also takes the instrumental case.

Where can I put будь ласка in this sentence?

Anywhere typical for “please”:

Beginning: Будь ласка, чи не могли б Ви…
Middle (set off by commas): Чи не могли б Ви, будь ласка, пояснити…
End: …пояснити різницю між цими словами, будь ласка. All are polite; middle placement is very common.

Is Чи не змогли б Ви… acceptable?

It’s acceptable but less idiomatic. Змогти (perfective) stresses successful ability (“manage to”). For polite requests, могти in the conditional (могли б) is the go-to choice: Чи не могли б Ви… sounds more natural.

Can I add the person I’m asking for, like “to me”?

Yes. Use dative: Чи не могли б Ви пояснити мені різницю між цими словами? This is very natural.

Where is the stress in key words?

могли́ (stress on -ли́)
поясни́ти
різни́цю
слова́ми
ци́ми Saying it smoothly with rising intonation at the end keeps it polite as a question.

Is the punctuation okay? Do I need any commas?

As written, no commas are needed. If you add будь ласка, set it off with commas when inside the sentence: …чи не могли б Ви, будь ласка, пояснити…