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Questions & Answers about Ми спілкуємося під час обіду.
What does the -ся at the end of спілкуємося do?
- The suffix -ся (often shortened to -сь) is a reflexive/reciprocal marker attached to verbs.
- With спілкуватися, it gives the meaning “to communicate (with one another).” Without it, спілкувати is rare and not used in this meaning.
- You’ll see both forms in the present: ми спілкуємося (neutral/standard) and ми спілкуємось (informal or conversational).
Do I have to keep the pronoun ми, or can I drop it?
You can drop it. Ukrainian often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person and number:
- Ми спілкуємося під час обіду.
- Спілкуємося під час обіду. (also correct)
How do I pronounce the sentence? Where is the stress?
- Approximate pronunciation: “my spil-KOO-ye-mo-sya pid chas o-BEE-doo.”
- Stress: спілкУємося (on “-ку-”), обІду (on “-бі-”).
- Sound tips:
- і = “ee” in “see”; и (in ми) is like the short “i” in “bit.”
- є = “ye” as in “yes.”
- ся = “sya.”
- In fast speech, під час may sound like “пічас/пітчас” because the d+ch cluster compresses.
Why is it обіду and not обід?
Because під час (“during”) governs the genitive case. Обіду is the genitive singular of обід (lunch).
- Nominative: обід
- Genitive: обіду
What exactly does під час mean, and are there alternatives?
- під час = “during” (always two words) and takes the genitive: під час обіду.
- Alternatives (slightly different nuances):
- за обідом = “over/while at lunch (as an activity).”
- на обіді = “at a (the) lunch (event/table).”
- For “during the lunch break”: під час обідньої перерви.
What’s the difference between спілкуватися, говорити, розмовляти, and балакати?
- спілкуватися: to communicate, interact; inherently two-way.
- говорити: to speak/talk (general; can be one- or two-way).
- розмовляти: to converse, have a conversation (two-way; very common).
- балакати: to chat, chit-chat; colloquial/informal.
Is the word order fixed?
No. Ukrainian allows flexible word order for emphasis. All are correct, with different focus:
- Ми спілкуємося під час обіду. (neutral)
- Під час обіду ми спілкуємося. (emphasizes the time frame)
- Ми під час обіду спілкуємося. (focus on the time within the clause)
How would I say “We will chat during lunch”?
Use a perfective future to stress a single completed interaction:
- Ми поспілкуємося під час обіду.
Alternatives with a similar feel: - Ми поговоримо під час обіду.
- Ми порозмовляємо під час обіду.
Can I shorten спілкуємося to спілкуємось?
Yes. -сь is a common shortened colloquial variant after vowels.
- Formal/neutral writing prefers спілкуємося; everyday speech and informal text often use спілкуємось.
How do I say who we’re talking with?
Use з + Instrumental:
- спілкуємося з друзями/з колегами під час обіду (“with friends/with colleagues”).
To stress mutuality within the group, add: - спілкуємося між собою / один з одним (“with each other”).
Does this mean “we talk during lunch” as a habit, or “we are talking during lunch” right now?
It can mean either. Ukrainian present tense covers both simple and progressive meanings. Context or adverbs clarify:
- Habit: Зазвичай ми спілкуємося під час обіду.
- Right now: Зараз ми спілкуємося під час обіду.
Any pitfalls to avoid with під час?
- Don’t fuse it: it’s always two words (під час, not “підчас”).
- Always use the genitive after it (під час обіду, під час зустрічі, etc.).
- No articles in Ukrainian, so you don’t add anything like “the” before nouns.