Questions & Answers about Мій улюблений герой часто жартує.
Why is it мій, not моя or моє here?
In Ukrainian, possessive pronouns agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.
- герой (hero) is:
- masculine
- singular
- nominative case (subject of the sentence)
So you must use the masculine nominative singular form of мій (my): мій герой.
Other forms would be:
- моя героїня – my (female) hero / heroine (feminine)
- моє місто – my city (neuter)
- мої герої – my heroes (plural)
What is the literal meaning and nuance of улюблений?
Улюблений literally means favorite or beloved, in the sense of:
- the one you like the most
- the one you especially prefer
It comes from the verb любити (to love / to like), with the prefix у- and a participle-like ending -лений.
Compare:
- любити – to love, to like
- улюблений фільм – favorite film
- улюблена страва – favorite dish
You may also see любимий, but it is often considered a Russian-influenced form in standard Ukrainian. Улюблений is the preferred, standard form.