Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Ліки допомагають, і їй стає краще. - The medicine helps, and she is feeling better.

Ліки is a plural-only noun (pluralia tantum) meaning “medicine/medications.” It has no natural singular form in everyday Ukrainian. Because the subject is grammatically plural, the verb must also be plural: вони допомагають (“they help”). If you need a singular, you can use words like препарат, медикамент, or лікарський засіб.

What case is їй, and why is it used?

Їй is the dative case of вона (“she”), meaning “to her/for her.” It’s used because the construction їй стає краще literally means “it is becoming better to her,” and Ukrainian uses the dative to mark the experiencer in impersonal expressions of feeling/state. The verb допомагати also takes the dative: допомагати комусь (“to help someone”).

What’s the difference between їй, її, and неї?

їй = dative “to her/for her” (used in the sentence here).
її = “her” as a possessive (her book = її книга) or as a direct object without a preposition (I see her = я бачу її).
неї = the “full” form used mainly after prepositions (at her place = у неї, without her = без неї).
Tip: After most prepositions, prefer неї/нею/ній rather than її/їю/їй.

Why is it краще and not краща or кращою?

Краще is an adverb meaning “better” (comparative of добре = “well”). In їй стає краще, it describes how she feels.

Вона стає кращою uses the adjective and means “she is becoming a better person/better (as a quality),” which is a different meaning.

What exactly is the structure of їй стає краще—is it impersonal?

Yes. It’s an impersonal construction:

стає = 3rd person singular (no explicit subject)
їй (dative) = the experiencer (“to her”)
краще = adverb “better”
Literal sense: “To her, it becomes better.” Natural English: “She is getting better / she feels better.”

Can I just say Їй краще instead of їй стає краще?

Yes.

Їй стає краще emphasizes the ongoing change (“she is getting better”).
Їй краще states the current condition (“she feels better / she is better now”), without focusing on the process.

How do I say “she got better” or “she will get better”?

Past: Їй стало краще.
Future: Їй стане краще.
Other options: Вона почувається краще (“she feels better”), Вона одужала (“she has recovered”).

Can I omit їй and just say Стає краще?

You can, but the meaning changes. Стає краще is more general/impersonal (“it’s getting better,” e.g., the situation, the weather). To specify the person, keep їй.

Could I write Ліки допомагають їй?

Yes. Ліки допомагають їй is fully grammatical and means “The medicine helps her.” In your original sentence, їй belongs to the second clause (їй стає краще), but you could also tie it to the first:

Ліки допомагають їй, і їй стає краще. (Repetition of їй is fine in Ukrainian.)

Why is there a comma before і?

Because і connects two independent clauses:
1) Ліки допомагають
2) їй стає краще
Ukrainian normally places a comma before і (and other coordinators) when they link full clauses. No comma is used when і links simple words or phrases (e.g., ліки і вода).

Can I replace і with й or та here?

І vs й: Both mean “and.” Й is a euphonic variant often used after a word ending in a vowel to smooth pronunciation. Here, the preceding word ends in a consonant sound (допомагають), so і is the neutral, preferred choice.
Та can mean “and,” but between clauses it often carries a mild “but/however” feel. If you just mean “and,” stick with і here.

How flexible is the word order?

Quite flexible for emphasis. For example:

Їй стає краще, і ліки допомагають. (Fronts the improvement.)
Ліки допомагають, і їй стає краще. (Neutral, cause → result feel.)
You can also front їй in the second clause for emphasis: …, і їй стає краще. Keep the comma because both parts are full clauses.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

Ліки: LEE-ky (stress on LEE).
допомагають: do-po-ma-HA-yut (stress on HA).
їй: “yee” (a y-glide plus a long ee; spelled with ї
- й).
стає: sta-YE (stress on YE).
краще: KRA-shche (the щ is like “shch”).
Stresses: лі́ки, допомага́ють, стає́, кра́ще.

What does the ending -ють in допомагають tell me?

It’s the present-tense 3rd person plural ending: вони допомагають (“they help”). It agrees with plural ліки.

Does допомагати take a direct object?

Typically no; it governs a dative experiencer: допомагати комусь (“help someone”). Examples:

Лікар допомагає пацієнтові/пацієнту.
Мені допомагають ліки.

How can I say “Thanks to the medicine, she’s getting better,” or use synonyms?

Їй стає краще завдяки лікам. (Note: завдяки requires the dative, so лікам.)
Useful synonyms/alternatives:
Ліки діють. (“The medicine is working.”)
Ліки подіяли. (“The medicine worked/has had an effect.”)
Вона почувається краще. (“She feels better.”)
Їй ліпше. (Synonym of краще, common and stylistically neutral.)