Спочатку натисни вимикач, а потім перевір, чи працює розетка.

Yes. Both натисни and перевір are imperative forms, so this sentence is giving instructions.

• натисни = press
• перевір = check

These are the singular imperative forms, so they are used when speaking to one person informally.

If you were speaking to:

• more than one person or
• one person formally,

you would usually use:

• натисніть
• перевірте

So the sentence sounds like a direct instruction to one person.

Спочатку means at first / first / first of all. It sets up the sequence of actions.

So the structure is:

• Спочатку = first
• ... а потім ... = ... and then ...

This is a very common way to give step-by-step instructions in Ukrainian.

You could think of the sentence pattern as:

First do X, and then do Y.

They mark the order of actions:

• спочатку = first
• потім = then / afterwards

Together they clearly show sequence:

1. press the switch
2. then check the outlet

Ukrainian often uses both words together when giving instructions, just as English often says First ..., then ....

Here а links the two parts of the sentence:

• Спочатку натисни вимикач
• а потім перевір, чи працює розетка

In this kind of sentence, а often means something like and then / whereas / and after that, depending on context. It helps separate one step from the next.

So а потім is very natural in instructional speech. It does not necessarily create a strong contrast here; it mainly connects the two actions smoothly.

Here чи means whether / if in an indirect yes-no question.

So:

• перевір, чи працює розетка = check whether the outlet works

This чи is not the same as English or and not the same as if in a conditional sentence.

Compare:

• Перевір, чи працює розетка. = Check whether the outlet works.
• Якщо розетка працює, ... = If the outlet works, ...

So:

• чи introduces an embedded yes/no question
• якщо introduces a condition

Because чи працює розетка is a subordinate clause.

The sentence contains:

• a main clause: перевір
• a subordinate clause: чи працює розетка

Ukrainian normally separates subordinate clauses with commas, so:

• перевір, чи працює розетка

This is similar to written English in a sentence like Check whether the outlet works, though English does not require a comma there.

Because а joins two parts of a compound sentence:

• Спочатку натисни вимикач
• а потім перевір, чи працює розетка

In Ukrainian, coordinating conjunctions like а are often preceded by a comma when they join clauses.

So both commas are normal and expected here:

• one before а
• one before чи

Вимикач is the direct object of натисни, so it is in the accusative case.

However, вимикач is:

• masculine
• inanimate
• singular

For many masculine inanimate nouns in Ukrainian, the accusative singular looks exactly the same as the nominative singular.

So:

• nominative: вимикач
• accusative: вимикач

The form does not change, but the case function does.

Because розетка is the subject of the subordinate clause:

• чи працює розетка = whether the outlet works

Here, розетка is the thing that works, so it is the subject, and subjects normally appear in the nominative case.

So compare:

• натисни вимикач → вимикач is the object
• працює розетка → розетка is the subject

Працює is the 3rd person singular present tense of працювати (to work / to function).

It agrees with розетка, which is singular:

• розетка працює = the outlet works / is working

In this sentence, Ukrainian uses the present tense after чи to ask about the current state or functionality.

This is very natural for checking whether something functions:

• чи працює телефон
• чи працює комп’ютер
• чи працює розетка

Yes, that matters.

Both натисни and перевір are normally understood as perfective imperatives:

• натиснути → натисни
• перевірити → перевір

Perfective imperatives are very common for instructions involving single, completed actions:

• press it once
• check it
• do the action and complete it

That fits this sentence well, because it describes a sequence of specific steps.

By contrast, imperfective imperatives are more often used for:

• repeated actions
• ongoing processes
• general instructions in some contexts

So the perfective choice here sounds natural and practical.

The word order is fairly natural, but Ukrainian word order is more flexible than English.

This sentence:

• Спочатку натисни вимикач, а потім перевір, чи працює розетка.

is the most straightforward neutral version.

You could rearrange parts for emphasis, for example:

• Натисни спочатку вимикач, а потім перевір, чи працює розетка.

This still makes sense, but the emphasis shifts slightly.

In normal instructional language, the original order is very natural because it clearly presents the sequence from the very beginning.

Yes, in English translation it often can.

• перевір, чи працює розетка can be translated as
• check if the outlet works or
• check whether the outlet works

But grammatically in Ukrainian, it is better to think of чи here as introducing a yes-no question, not a condition.

So the closest grammatical idea is usually whether.

Вимикач usually means a switch, very often a wall switch such as a light switch, but the exact meaning depends on context.

It comes from the idea of switching something off/on. In everyday household contexts, вимикач often refers to the switch on the wall.

So in this sentence, a learner should understand it as switch, most likely an electrical one.

You would use the plural/formal imperative forms:

• Спочатку натисніть вимикач, а потім перевірте, чи працює розетка.

So:

• натисни → натисніть
• перевір → перевірте

This is the normal way to address:

• one person formally
• several people

The rest of the sentence stays the same.