Questions & Answers about Брудний посуд стоїть у раковині.
Why is the Ukrainian word for “dishes,” посуд, singular here?
Because посуд is a collective mass noun in Ukrainian. It means “dishes/tableware” as a whole and is grammatically singular (masculine inanimate). So it takes singular agreement: брудний посуд стоїть… not стоять. To talk about individual items, use plural count nouns like тарілки (plates), склянки (glasses), чашки (cups), etc.
Why is it стоїть (singular) and not стоять (plural)?
The verb agrees with the grammatical number of the subject. Since посуд is singular as a mass noun, you use singular стоїть. If the subject were plural (e.g., тарілки), you’d say тарілки стоять.
Does стоїть literally mean “is standing”? Why use it for dishes?
Yes, стоїть literally means “stands,” but in Ukrainian it’s commonly used to indicate where an object is situated or left, not only physically “standing.” With household items, стоїть is very natural. You might also hear:
- лежить (“lies/is lying”) for things clearly lying flat.
- Zero copula: Брудний посуд у раковині. (no verb; neutral present “is/are”)
- є (“is/are”): Брудний посуд є у раковині, but present є is often omitted unless you want to stress existence/availability.