Сміття лежить під столом, тому вона бере пакет і йде до смітника.

In Ukrainian, сміття is usually an uncountable/collective noun, like trash or garbage in English. Even though it may consist of many pieces, grammar treats it as singular.

That is why the verb is лежить rather than a plural form.

A useful comparison:

• сміття лежить = the trash is lying
• not сміття лежать

So the idea is grammatical singular, not “one physical item.”

Лежить comes from лежати, meaning to lie or to be lying.

Ukrainian often uses position verbs where English might be less specific. So сміття лежить під столом sounds natural because the trash is physically lying there.

Compare:

• є = exists / is
• лежить = is lying

So лежить gives a more concrete picture of the position of the trash.

Because під can take different cases depending on meaning:

• під + Instrumental = location, under
• під + Accusative = movement to a position under something

Here the trash is already under the table, so Ukrainian uses the Instrumental:

• під столом = under the table

If there were movement, you could have:

• покласти під стіл = to put something under the table

So:

• лежить під столом = location
• кладе під стіл = movement

That ending shows the Instrumental case.

The base form is:

• стіл = table

After під in a location meaning, it changes to Instrumental:

• під столом = under the table

This -ом ending is very common for masculine nouns in the Instrumental singular.

Because the preposition до always takes the Genitive case.

The dictionary form is:

• смітник = trash can / garbage bin / dumpster

After до, it becomes:

• до смітника = to the trash can / to the bin

So this is just a normal case change required by до.

They are related, but not identical.

• йде до смітника = she goes to the trash can
• кидає в smітник = she throws it into the trash can

In your sentence, the action described is walking toward the bin, so до смітника is the natural choice.

If the sentence were about where the trash ends up, then в смітник could be used.

This is a very common question because Ukrainian distinguishes types of motion more clearly than English.

• йти / йде = to go on one specific trip, in one direction
• ходити / ходить = to go habitually, repeatedly, or in various directions

In this sentence, she is making one specific movement to the trash can, so йде is correct.

Compare:

• Вона йде до смітника. = She is going to the trash can right now / on this particular occasion.
• Вона ходить до смітника щодня. = She goes to the trash can every day.

Ukrainian often uses the present tense the same way English does for:

• actions happening now
• habitual actions
• vivid narration

So бере and йде can describe a present situation naturally.

Also, Ukrainian often uses the present tense in step-by-step narration:

• вона бере пакет і йде...

That can sound like English she takes a bag and goes...

If you wanted a single completed future action, you might use perfective forms such as:

• візьме
• піде

Пакет often means bag, especially a light bag such as a plastic bag or shopping bag.

Depending on context, it can also mean:

• packet
• package
• bag

In this sentence, it most naturally means a bag, probably for picking up or carrying the trash.

If you want to be extra specific, Ukrainian can also say:

• пакет для сміття = a garbage bag
• сміттєвий пакет = a trash bag

Here тому means therefore, so, or that’s why.

It connects the first idea with the result:

• trash is under the table
• therefore / so she takes a bag and goes to the trash can

The comma is there because Ukrainian is separating two connected clauses:

• Сміття лежить під столом, тому вона бере пакет...

That punctuation is normal and natural.

By itself, this sentence sounds like it comes from a larger context where the listener already knows who вона is.

Ukrainian, like English, can use a pronoun once the person is already understood.

So вона here means that the female person has probably been mentioned earlier, even if that earlier part is not shown.

If you wanted the sentence to stand fully on its own, you might replace вона with a noun, for example:

• дівчина
• жінка
• a person’s name

Yes. Ukrainian word order is more flexible than English word order. The basic meaning stays the same, but the focus can change.

For example:

• Сміття лежить під столом... = neutral
• Під столом лежить сміття... = emphasizes the location under the table

So the original sentence is natural, but other orders are possible depending on what the speaker wants to highlight.

Because Ukrainian does not have articles.

English says:

• the table
• a bag

Ukrainian simply says:

• стіл / столом
• пакет

Whether something is definite or indefinite is understood from context, word order, and the situation.

That is why під столом can mean under the table, and пакет can mean a bag or the bag, depending on context.