Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Не торкайся гарячої плити, будь ласка.

The ending -ся is the reflexive/middle marker. The verb is торка́тися “to touch,” and it is normally used with -ся. You should not drop it here; Не торкайся... is the natural way to say “Don’t touch...”. A bare form like торкай exists (from торка́ти) but is rare and sounds off in this meaning. Stick with торка́тися/торкну́тися for “touch.”

Why is гарячої плити in the genitive case?

Because торка́тися/торкну́тися governs the genitive. Think of it as “to touch (of) something.”

Не торкайся гарячої плити.
Other examples: не торкайся води, не торкайся вогню, не торкайся цієї кнопки.

If you switch to the verb чіпа́ти (“to touch, to handle”), you use the accusative: не чіпай гарячу плиту.

Can I say Не чіпай гарячу плиту instead? Is there a nuance?

Yes. Не чіпай гарячу плиту is very common and idiomatic. Nuance:

торка́тися/торкну́тися = “touch (make contact with),” often a brief contact; genitive.
чіпа́ти = “touch/handle/fiddle with,” often implies more active handling; accusative.

Both work as a warning; choose either based on the nuance you want.

How do I say this politely to one person or to several people?

Informal singular (to one person you know): Не торкайся гарячої плити, будь ласка.
Polite or plural: Не торкайтеся гарячої плити, будь ласка.
You’ll also hear the colloquial spelling Не торкайтесь..., but style guides prefer -теся in writing.

What’s the difference between Не торкайся and Не торкнися/Не торкнись?

Aspect:

Не торкайся (imperfective) bans the action in general/ongoing terms: “Don’t be touching / Don’t touch (at all).”
Не торкнися/Не торкнись (perfective) bans a single act: “Don’t touch (even once).” It can sound sharper/more urgent.

Both are correct; for a general safety rule, imperfective is a safe default.

Can I add до: Не торкайся до гарячої плити?

Better options:

Standard with no preposition: Не торкайся гарячої плити.
Or use the prefixed verb with до: Не доторкайся до гарячої плити.

You will hear торкатися до in speech, but the most standard patterns are торкатися + genitive and доторкатися до + genitive.

Why is it гарячої, not гаряча or гарячу?

Case agreement. Feminine adjective гарячий/гаряча changes with the noun’s case:

Nominative: гаряча плита (“a hot stove”)
Accusative: гарячу плиту (with чіпати)
Genitive: гарячої плити (with торкатися)

How do I pronounce this? Where are the stresses?

Stresses (marked with an acute): Не торка́йся гаря́чої плити́, будь ла́ска. Quick tips:

г is a voiced “h,” not a hard “g.”
и is like short “i” [ɪ], as in “bit.”
й gives a “y” glide; ї is “yi.”
Final -и in плити́ is stressed. A simple stress guide: ne tor-KAI-sia ha-RYA-cho-yi pli-TY, bud’ LAS-ka.

Why the comma before будь ласка? Can it move?

Будь ласка is a parenthetical politeness marker and is set off by a comma.

End: Не торкайся гарячої плити, будь ласка.
Beginning: Будь ласка, не торкайся гарячої плити. Both are fine. An exclamation mark is also possible for urgency.

What does будь ласка literally mean? Are there alternatives?

Literally “be kind.” It’s the standard, neutral “please.” Alternatives:

Прошу can mean “please,” but also “you’re welcome / here you go / come in,” depending on context and region—use with care.
Будь ласкавий/ласкава
- verb is a more personal/old-fashioned “be so kind (as to)...”

Do I need to say ти (“you”)?

No. The imperative ending already encodes “you.” Adding ти is only for emphasis or contrast (and can sound scolding): Ти не торкайся гарячої плити.

Is плити singular or plural here?

Here it’s genitive singular, enforced by the agreeing adjective гарячої (fem. gen. sg.). On its own, плити could also be nominative plural (“stoves”), but the adjective disambiguates it. For plural genitive: гарячих плит.

Does плита always mean “stove”?

Mostly yes in kitchen contexts. But it can also mean “slab/plate” (e.g., concrete slab). Related words:

плитка = “tile” or a small hotplate; also “a bar” (of chocolate).
варильна поверхня = “hob/cooktop,” духовка = “oven,” піч = “(wood-burning) stove.”

Is there a short -сь form like Не торкайсь?

Yes, in colloquial speech you’ll hear Не торкайсь (and Не торкнись). It’s acceptable in informal contexts. In careful writing, prefer the full -ся forms: Не торкайся / Не торкнися.

Can торкатися be used figuratively?

Yes, it often means “to touch upon” a topic/issue: Не торкайся цієї теми, будь ласка (“Please don’t touch on this topic”). The genitive still applies: торкатися чого?