Я збираю документи зі столу.

I am collecting the documents from the table.

Breakdown of Я збираю документи зі столу.

• я: I
• стіл: the table
• документ: the document
• збирати: to collect
• зі: from

Questions & Answers about Я збираю документи зі столу.

What nuance does the verb збираю have here?

It means “I’m gathering/picking up” (physically collecting items). With the phrase зі столу, it clearly implies removing the documents from the surface of the table. Without a locator like зі столу, збирати документи can also mean “to collect/gather the required documents” (e.g., for an application).

Why is it зі столу and not just з столу or із столу?

Ukrainian uses three euphonic variants of the preposition “from”: з / із / зі. You choose the one that sounds smooth before the next word. Before words starting with sibilants like с (s), зі is preferred to avoid the awkward cluster зс. Hence, зі столу sounds natural; з столу is clunky, and із столу is uncommon here.

What case is столу, and why?

Столу is Genitive singular of стіл (“table”). The preposition з/із/зі meaning “from/off (a surface, out of, away from)” governs the Genitive case: зі столу, з гори (“from the mountain”), із міста (“from the city”).

Is зі стола acceptable?

In standard Ukrainian, the correct form is зі столу. The form зі стола is widely heard but is considered non‑standard (influenced by Russian). Stick with зі столу in careful speech and writing.

What case is документи?

Accusative plural (direct object). For inanimate nouns in Ukrainian, the Accusative plural is identical to the Nominative plural, so документи looks the same as the subject form. (Animate nouns would differ, e.g., я бачу собак “I see dogs.”)

Does this sentence mean “right now” or a habitual action?

It can mean either. Ukrainian simple present covers both ongoing and habitual actions. Add an adverb if you want to be explicit:

• Ongoing: Я зараз збираю документи зі столу. (“I’m collecting them right now.”)
• Habitual: Я щоразу збираю документи зі столу. (“I collect them every time.”)

How do I say it in the completed/perfective sense (e.g., “I’ll collect them” meaning finish the task)?

Use the perfective verb зібрати:

• Future (simple): я зберу/зіберу, ти збереш/зібереш, він/вона збере/зібере, ми зберемо/зіберемо, ви зберете/зіберете, вони зберуть/зіберуть. The forms with і (зіберу, зібереш, …) are standard; colloquial variants without і also occur.
• Past: я зібрав/зібрала/зібрали. Example: Я скоро зберу (зіберу) документи зі столу.

How do I give a command like “Collect the documents from the table!”?

Use the perfective imperative for a single, complete action:

• 2nd person singular: Збери! / Зібери!
• 2nd person plural/polite: Зберіть! / Зіберіть! Example: Зіберіть документи зі столу!

Can I drop the pronoun я?

Yes. Ukrainian often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person. Збираю документи зі столу is natural and means the same as with Я.

What’s the difference between збираю and збираюся?

• збираю = “I’m collecting/gathering.”
• збираюся (reflexive) = “I’m getting ready” or “I intend to,” as in Я збираюся йти (“I’m about to go / I plan to go”). Don’t use збираюся when you mean physically gathering items.

Could I say прибираю/забираю/знімаю/підбираю документи зі столу instead? What’s the difference?

• прибираю = “I’m tidying/cleaning up” (broader, about making the table neat).
• забираю = “I’m taking (away)” (removing them and keeping them).
• знімаю = “I’m taking (them) off (a surface)” (focus on lifting off).
• підбираю = “I’m picking up (from a lower place, e.g., the floor).” збираю focuses on gathering items into a set or pile.

Can I change the word order?

Yes; Ukrainian word order is flexible and used for emphasis:

• Neutral: Я збираю документи зі столу.
• Focus on source: Я зі столу збираю документи.
• Focus on object: Документи я збираю зі столу. All are grammatical; choose based on what you want to highlight.

Why is Я capitalized? Is it always capitalized like English “I”?

It’s capitalized only because it’s the first word of the sentence. The pronoun я is not capitalized in the middle of a sentence (unlike English “I”).

How would I say “from under the table” or “away from the table”?

• “From under the table”: з‑під столу (also Genitive after з‑під).
• “Away from the table” (movement away, not necessarily off the surface): від столу (Genitive after від).

Does з/із/зі always take the Genitive?

Not always. It depends on meaning:

• “From/off/out of” → Genitive (e.g., зі столу, із міста, з моєї кімнати).
• “With” → Instrumental (e.g., з другом, and euphonic зі мною = “with me”). So the preposition is the same in form but governs different cases by meaning.

Is there any quick way to remember the Genitive of стіл?

Learn the pair: стіл → столу. This noun changes the stem vowel (і → о) and takes the Genitive ending ‑у. It’s common with many masculine nouns in Ukrainian (e.g., ліс → лісу, чай → чаю).