Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Мамо, будь ласка, не торкайся гарячої чашки.

Because this is direct address, which in Ukrainian uses the vocative case. The nominative is мама, but the vocative is мамо. Other examples: тато → тату, бабуся → бабусю, Олена → Олено.

Why are there commas after Мамо and around будь ласка?

Words of address (vocatives) are set off by commas: Мамо, .... The politeness marker будь ласка is parenthetical when inserted mid‑sentence, so it’s also set off by commas: Мамо, будь ласка, .... At the start you write: Будь ласка, ...; at the end: ..., будь ласка.

What does будь ласка literally mean, and where can it go?

Literally it’s “be kind” (будь = “be,” imperative of “to be”; ласка = “kindness”). It can appear at the start, middle, or end: Будь ласка, не торкайся... / Мамо, будь ласка, не торкайся... / Не торкайся..., будь ласка. It also serves as “you’re welcome” after дякую.

Why does the verb end with -ся (as in торкайся)?

Because торкатися “to touch” is reflexive by form in Ukrainian; its imperative keeps the reflexive clitic: торкайся. Without -ся (торкати) is a different, less common verb. Colloquially you may hear the contracted -сь (e.g., не торкайсь), but -ся is standard in writing.

How is the imperative торкайся formed from торкатися?

Start from the stem торка-, add the imperative marker -й, then the reflexive -ся: торкайся (2nd person singular). The plural/formal is торкайтеся. Negation is made by adding не before it: не торкайся / не торкайтеся.

Why is it гарячої чашки (genitive) and not гарячу чашку (accusative)?

The verbs торкатися/торкнутися govern the genitive case: “to touch (of) something.” So both the adjective and noun are in genitive feminine singular: гарячої чашки. No preposition is used with торкатися/торкнутися in this pattern.

Could I instead say Не чіпай гарячу чашку?

Yes. Чіпати “to touch/handle” takes the accusative, hence гарячу чашку. Nuance: чіпати can suggest handling/fiddling, while торкатися is more like “touch (make contact with),” and is also used metaphorically (“to touch upon a topic”).

What’s the difference between не торкайся and не торкнися?

Не торкайся (imperfective) is the usual way to give a general prohibition. Не торкнися (perfective) sounds sharper, like “don’t you even touch it (once).” The contracted не торкнись is colloquial.

Can I use до with this verb, like “don’t touch to the cup”?

With the verb доторкатися/доторкнутися, you use до + genitive: не доторкайся до гарячої чашки. With торкатися/торкнутися, you normally do not use a preposition: не торкайся гарячої чашки.

Why is there no ти (“you”)?

Imperatives in Ukrainian don’t need subject pronouns; the form itself shows the person. You can add ти for contrast/emphasis (e.g., Не торкайся ти цієї чашки), but it’s not required.

How do I say this politely or to more than one person?

Use the 2nd person plural/formal imperative: не торкайтеся. For example: Пані, будь ласка, не торкайтеся гарячої чашки. In formal letters, Ви may be capitalized as a sign of respect.

Should this end with a period or an exclamation mark?

Both are correct. A period sounds calm and matter‑of‑fact; an exclamation mark adds urgency or warning: Мамо, будь ласка, не торкайся гарячої чашки!

How do I pronounce г in гарячої, and what does ї represent?

Ukrainian г is a voiced “h” [ɦ], not the hard “g” sound; the hard “g” is ґ. The letter ї always represents [ji] (roughly “yi”): -ої in гарячої is pronounced like “o‑yi.”

Can the adjective come after the noun, like чашки гарячої?

It’s grammatically possible but sounds poetic or emphatic. In everyday speech, adjectives normally precede the noun: гарячої чашки.

Are there other common words for “cup”?

Yes: чашка is standard “cup,” горнятко (esp. Western UA) is a common diminutive for a teacup, кухоль/кружка is a mug, and склянка is a glass. Choose based on the object (ceramic cup vs. mug vs. glass).

Does гарячий mean “spicy”?

No. Гарячий means “hot” in temperature. “Spicy” is гострий or пікантний, depending on context.