Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Після вечері я збираю посуд зі столу. - After dinner I gather the dishes from the table.

It means “I collect/clear the dishes,” i.e., you gather plates, cups, etc., from the table. For “wash the dishes,” you’d say мию посуд. To emphasize tidying, you can also say прибираю посуд or прибираю зі столу (“I’m clearing the table”).

What case does після take, and is that why it’s вечері?

Yes. Після always takes the genitive case. Вечеря (dinner) → genitive singular вечері. More examples:

після уроку (after the lesson)
після роботи (after work)
після того, як… (after [someone] does…).

I see вечері—is that “dinner” or “evenings”? What’s the difference between вечеря and вечір?

вечеря = dinner/supper (feminine). Genitive singular: вечері → here: “after dinner.”
вечір = evening (masculine). Nominative plural is вечори; genitive singular is вечора. Context and the preposition після (which demands genitive) make it clear we mean dinner, not evenings.

Why is it зі столу, not з столу or із столу?

Ukrainian uses three euphonic variants of the same preposition: з / із / зі. They mean the same (“from/off/out of” here). Choice depends on ease of pronunciation:

з before vowels and many single consonants: з міста (from the city)
із to avoid hard clusters or double з: із двору, із зали
зі before sibilants or consonant clusters: зі столу, зі школи, зі мною So зі столу sounds natural and is standard.

Why столу and not стілу? Where did the “о” come from?

The noun стіл (“table”) has a stem стол- in oblique cases: столу (gen.), столі (loc.), столом (instr.). This vowel alternation is just part of the noun’s paradigm—memorize it as стіл → столу/стола → столі → столом.

Can I say зі стола instead of зі столу?

Yes, both зі столу and зі стола are acceptable genitive singular forms. Зі столу is more common and stylistically neutral in modern standard Ukrainian; зі стола is also correct and heard often in speech.

Which case is посуд here, and why doesn’t it change form?

It’s the accusative (direct object of збираю). The noun посуд is a mass/collective noun; its nominative and accusative singular look the same: посуд. Plural forms like посуди are rare and usually mean “sets/types of tableware,” not individual dishes.

Is the pronoun я required? Can I omit it?

You can omit it. Ukrainian is pro-drop, and the verb ending already shows the person: Після вечері збираю посуд зі столу is natural. Use я for emphasis or clarity.

Does збираю mean a habit or something happening right now?

The Ukrainian present imperfective can express both:

Habit: “After dinner I (usually) clear the dishes.”
Right now: “After dinner, I’m clearing the dishes (as part of what I’m doing).” Context (e.g., adverbs like зазвичай) clarifies the nuance.

How do I say it for a single completed action (past or future)?

Use the perfective verb зібрати:

Past: Після вечері я зібрав/зібрала посуд зі столу.
Future: Після вечері я зберу посуд зі столу. Note the future form is зберу (not “зіберу”).

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Ukrainian allows flexible word order for emphasis:

Після вечері я збираю посуд зі столу. (neutral; time first)
Я після вечері збираю посуд зі столу. (emphasis on the subject)
Після вечері посуд я збираю зі столу. (focus on “посуд”)
Я збираю посуд зі столу після вечері. (time at the end) All are grammatically fine; choose based on what you want to highlight.

What’s the difference between збирати посуд, прибирати (зі столу), and знімати посуд?

збирати посуд: gather/collect the dishes.
прибирати (зі столу): clear/tidy the table (often broader—may include wiping).
знімати посуд (зі столу): take the dishes off the table (literal “remove from surface”).
They overlap; context decides which sounds best.

Does з/із/зі also mean “with”? How do I tell the difference?

Yes, з/із/зі can mean “with” and then takes the instrumental case:

“from/off”: зі столу (genitive)
“with”: зі столом (instrumental)
The case shows the meaning: genitive = from/off; instrumental = with.

What’s the difference between зі столу and від столу?

зі столу = off the surface of the table (removal from on top).
від столу = away from the table (distance/origin), e.g., відійди від столу (“step away from the table”).

Is посуда correct in Ukrainian?

No. That’s a Russian form. Ukrainian uses посуд. If you need individual items, name them: тарілки (plates), чашки (cups), склянки (glasses), etc.