Лампа не працює, бо кабель не в розетці, а я забув про вимикач.

Yes. In Ukrainian, працювати is very commonly used for machines, devices, and appliances, just like to work in English.

So Лампа не працює means The lamp isn’t working or The lamp doesn’t work.

You would not normally say лампа не робить here. The verb робити usually means to do or to make, not to function.

Examples:

• Телевізор не працює = The TV isn’t working.
• Телефон не працює = The phone isn’t working.

Бо means because.

In this sentence:

• Лампа не працює, бо кабель не в розетці
  = The lamp isn’t working because the cable isn’t in the socket.

Бо and тому що are often interchangeable, but бо is usually shorter and more conversational.
So this sentence could also be:

• Лампа не працює, тому що кабель не в розетці...

That would sound slightly more formal or neutral, but both are correct.

Here в means in and it shows location, so it takes the locative case.

• dictionary form: розетка
• locative singular: в розетці

So:

• кабель не в розетці = the cable is not in the socket

This is about location, not motion. Compare:

• Кабель у розетці = The cable is in the socket.
• Вставити кабель у розетку = To put/insert the cable into the socket.

Notice the difference:

• в розетці = in the socket, located there → locative
• у розетку = into the socket, movement toward it → accusative

Literally, it means the cable is not in the socket, but in natural English this often corresponds to the cable isn’t plugged in.

So the Ukrainian is more physical and concrete:

• кабель не в розетці = the cable is not in the outlet/socket

A native speaker understands that this means the lamp has no power because it is unplugged.

А is a very flexible conjunction. It can mean:

• and with a contrast
• while
• but

In this sentence:

• ..., а я забув про вимикач.

It introduces a new clause with some contrast or shift in focus. In natural English, depending on context, you might translate it as:

• and I forgot about the switch
• but I forgot about the switch
• while I forgot about the switch

Here it feels like a contrastive and/but:

• the cable isn’t in the socket,
• and on top of that / meanwhile, I forgot about the switch.

It is not the same as і, which is a simple and.

Yes, Ukrainian often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person.

• забув already tells us I forgot if the speaker is male
• забула would tell us I forgot if the speaker is female

So а забув про вимикач could be enough in context.

But я is included here for clarity or emphasis. It can make the clause feel more explicit or contrastive:

• ..., а я забув про вимикач
  = ..., and I forgot about the switch

Including я is perfectly natural.

Забув is the past tense masculine singular form of забути = to forget.

So this form suggests the speaker is male.

Compare:

• я забув = I forgot. (male speaker)
• я забула = I forgot. (female speaker)

This is a very important feature of Ukrainian past tense: it agrees with gender in the singular.

This is a great question, because the meaning changes.

• забути про щось = to forget about something
• забути щось = to forget something / leave something behind / fail to remember it

In this sentence, забув про вимикач means:

• I forgot about the switch
• I didn’t think of it / didn’t remember to consider it

If you say забув вимикач, that would more likely suggest something like:

• I forgot the switch
• I left it behind
• I forgot to bring it

So про is important here because it gives the meaning forgot about.

After про, Ukrainian normally uses the accusative case.

So:

• про вимикач = about the switch

Why does it still look like вимикач, the dictionary form? Because for an inanimate masculine singular noun, the accusative is often the same as the nominative.

So:

• nominative: вимикач
• accusative: вимикач

That is why nothing visibly changes here.

Вимикач usually means a switch, especially a wall switch such as a light switch.

In this sentence, it most naturally means the switch for the lamp/light.

Related words:

• вимикач = switch
• розетка = socket / outlet
• кабель = cable
• лампа = lamp

Depending on context, English might translate вимикач as:

• switch
• light switch

The commas are there because the sentence contains multiple clauses joined by conjunctions.

Structure:

• Лампа не працює
• бо кабель не в розетці
• а я забув про вимикач

So the commas separate clauses connected by:

• бо = because
• а = and/but

This is normal Ukrainian punctuation.

Yes. Ukrainian word order is fairly flexible, although different orders sound slightly different in emphasis.

Original:

• Лампа не працює, бо кабель не в розетці, а я забув про вимикач.

You could also say:

• Бо кабель не в розетці, лампа не працює, а я забув про вимикач.
• Я забув про вимикач, а лампа не працює, бо кабель не в розетці.

The original order is very natural because it presents:

1. the problem,
2. the reason,
3. an additional thought/contrast.

So yes, word order can change, but the original sounds smooth and normal.

Yes, в and у often mean the same thing in Ukrainian. The choice is usually made for ease of pronunciation and sound.

So both are possible:

• кабель не в розетці
• кабель не у розетці

The version with в is perfectly normal here. Ukrainian often switches between в/у and і/й to avoid awkward sound combinations.

Only the past tense verb would need to change:

• Лампа не працює, бо кабель не в розетці, а я забула про вимикач.

The change is:

• забув → male speaker
• забула → female speaker

Everything else stays the same.

It can mean either, depending on context.

• The lamp doesn’t work = general fact
• The lamp isn’t working = right now, in this situation

Because the sentence continues with a specific reason:

• бо кабель не в розетці = because the cable isn’t in the socket

the most natural English translation here is:

• The lamp isn’t working...

So the Ukrainian present tense can cover both ideas, and context tells you which one is meant.