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Questions & Answers about Скільки тобі років?
What does each word in Скільки тобі років? mean?
Word by word:
- Скільки = how many / how much
- тобі = to you
This is the dative form of ти - років = years
This is the genitive plural form of рік = year
So the sentence is literally something like How many years to you?, but it means How old are you?
Why is it тобі, not ти?
Because Ukrainian expresses age with the dative case, not with a subject like English does.
English says:
- You are 20 years old
Ukrainian says:
- Тобі 20 років
- literally: To you, 20 years
So ти changes to тобі because the sentence uses the idea to you.
A few related forms:
- мені = to me
- тобі = to you
- йому = to him
- їй = to her
- нам = to us
- вам = to you
Why is there no verb in this sentence?