Breakdown of Звичайно, поки що ми чекаємо в кафе і спілкуємося.
в
in
ми
we
і
and
чекати
to wait
кафе
the cafe
звичайно
of course
поки що
for now
спілкуватися
to chat
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Questions & Answers about Звичайно, поки що ми чекаємо в кафе і спілкуємося.
What exactly does поки що mean here?
It means for now/for the time being/so far. It does not mean while. So the idea is: we are waiting for now (and this may change later).
Can I use поки instead of поки що?
They’re different:
- поки що = for now/so far.
- поки = while or until and typically introduces a clause: Поки ми чекаємо, вони готуються. (While we are waiting, they are getting ready.)
Is Звичайно the same as Звісно or Авжеж?
All can mean of course:
- звичайно and звісно are close in meaning; both are common and neutral, with звісно a bit more colloquial.
- авжеж is stronger/emphatic and somewhat more expressive.
Why is there a comma after Звичайно?
Because звичайно is used parenthetically (an introductory word). Such words are set off with a comma: Звичайно, ...
Can I drop the pronoun ми?
Yes. Ukrainian often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. Поки що чекаємо в кафе і спілкуємося is natural.
Do I need на after чекати? Should it be чекаємо на ...?
Both patterns are standard when you name what you’re waiting for:
- чекати на + Accusative: чекати на автобус
- чекати + Genitive (no на): чекати автобуса If you don’t name the object (as in the sentence), just чекати is fine. Avoid чекати автобус (Accusative without на) — that’s incorrect.
Does в кафе mean in the café or at the café?
It can mean either, depending on context. With places like кафе, в/у often covers both in and at.
Why is it в кафе and not у кафе? Are both correct?
Both are correct. Ukrainian alternates в/у for euphony (to keep speech flowing). Choose the one that sounds smoother in context. Here, в кафе and у кафе are both fine.
Does кафе decline? What gender is it?
Кафе is indeclinable and treated as neuter. It stays кафе in all cases: у кафе, з кафе. With adjectives you’ll see neuter agreement: у новому кафе.
Is there any difference between кафе and кав’ярня?
- кафе is a general café/restaurant-type place (loanword), broader in meaning.
- кав’ярня is a coffee shop (more specifically a place centered on coffee and light food). Both are common.
Why does спілкуємося end in -ся?
The -ся/-сь ending marks a reflexive/reciprocal verb. Спілкуватися means to communicate/interact (mutual action). The non-reflexive спілкувати is rare and different.
Can I say говоримо or розмовляємо instead of спілкуємося?
Yes, with nuance:
- говоримо = we are speaking (focus on speaking).
- розмовляємо = we are having a conversation (two-way talk).
- спілкуємося = we are communicating/socializing (broad, interaction-focused).
How do Ukrainians express the English “we are waiting/are talking” (present continuous)?
They use the simple present: ми чекаємо, ми спілкуємося. You can add зараз (now) for clarity: Зараз ми чекаємо...
Can I change the word order?
Yes. Possible and natural variants include:
- Звичайно, ми поки що чекаємо в кафе і спілкуємося.
- Поки що ми чекаємо в кафе і спілкуємося. Moving поки що or ми slightly shifts emphasis but keeps the meaning.
Should there be a comma before і?
No. Here і simply connects two predicates (чекаємо and спілкуємося), so no comma is needed.
How is що pronounced? And how would you transliterate the whole sentence?
- що (letter щ) is pronounced like “shcho.”
- A common transliteration: Zvychaino, poky shcho my chekaiemo v kafe i spilkuiemosia.