Questions & Answers about Наш клас маленький, але затишний.
In Ukrainian, possessive pronouns agree with the noun’s gender, number, and case.
- клас is a masculine noun (like стіл, дім).
- The masculine nominative singular form of “our” is наш.
- Feminine would be наша (e.g. наша кімната – our room).
- Neuter would be наше (e.g. наше місто – our city).
- Plural would be наші (e.g. наші класи – our classes).
So with клас (masculine), you must use наш клас.
Both adjectives are in the masculine nominative singular form, agreeing with клас:
- клас – masculine, nominative, singular.
- маленький – masculine, nominative, singular.
- затишний – masculine, nominative, singular.
In Ukrainian, adjectives must match the noun they describe in gender, number, and case, even when there is no explicit verb “to be” in the present tense.
In modern Ukrainian, the present tense of бути (є – “is/are”) is usually omitted in simple descriptive sentences.
- Наш клас маленький. = “Our class is small.”
- Місто велике. = “The city is big.”
Using є is possible but feels either:
- stylistic (emphasis, contrast), or
- more formal/bookish in some contexts.
So Наш клас маленький, але затишний. is the most natural everyday form.
Але (“but”) connects two independent parts of the sentence:
- Наш клас маленький
- (наш клас) затишний
Each part has its own implied verb “to be,” so they’re like two separate clauses:
- “Our class is small, but (it is) cozy.”
In Ukrainian, when але connects two such clauses, you normally must put a comma before але:
- Він втомлений, але щасливий.
- Квартира дорога, але простора.
Yes, that sentence is grammatically correct, and the meaning is almost the same, but the focus is a bit different.
Наш клас маленький, але затишний.
Focus: first you state one quality (маленький), then contrast it with another (затишний).Наш маленький клас затишний.
Here, маленький is more like a built-in characteristic of the noun (“our small class”), and the main statement is that this already-known small class is cozy.
So both are fine; the original sentence makes the contrast (“small but cozy”) feel stronger.
Both can mean “small,” but there is a nuance:
- малий – more neutral, often used in:
- fixed expressions: малий бізнес (small business)
- contrasts: малий – великий (small – big)
- маленький – often sounds a bit more emotional or descriptive, like “little, smallish,” slightly more colloquial and vivid in everyday speech.
In this sentence, маленький клас comes across as “a small/little class” in a natural, conversational way.
Наш клас малий, але затишний is also grammatical, just a bit more neutral/“bookish” in tone.
Затишний is usually translated as “cozy” or “comfortable (atmosphere)”, and it implies:
- pleasant,
- warm,
- home-like,
- safe, protected from noise or cold.
So маленький, але затишний клас suggests a class that is small but feels nice and comfortable to be in, not cramped or unpleasant. It does not mean “quiet” in the strict sense (that would be тихий), though cozy places are often also quiet.
For plural, both the noun and adjectives change:
- Наші класи маленькі, але затишні.
Changes:
- наш → наші (plural)
- клас → класи (plural)
- маленький → маленькі (plural adj.)
- затишний → затишні (plural adj.)
The structure and use of але and the comma stay the same.
Use the feminine forms:
- Наша кімната маленька, але затишна.
Changes:
- наш → наша (feminine)
- клас (m.) → кімната (f.)
- маленький → маленька (feminine adj.)
- затишний → затишна (feminine adj.)
Again, no explicit “is”, and the comma before але remains.
Yes, but with slightly different shades of style:
Наш клас маленький, але затишний.
Neutral, the most common “but.”Наш клас маленький, та затишний.
та = “and/but”; here it can sound a bit more literary or stylistic.Наш клас маленький, проте затишний.
проте is closer to “however / nevertheless,” more formal or bookish.
For everyday spoken Ukrainian, але is the most natural choice.