Я не виходжу з дому, коли на вулиці слизько.

Breakdown of Я не виходжу з дому, коли на вулиці слизько.

я
I
на
on
коли
when
не
not
дім
the house
з
from
вулиця
the street
слизько
slippery
виходити
to go out

Questions & Answers about Я не виходжу з дому, коли на вулиці слизько.

Why is it виходжу, and not йду or вийду?

Виходжу comes from виходити / вийти, which means to go out, to leave.

In this sentence, виходжу is the imperfective present form, so it fits a habitual / repeated meaning:
I don’t go out / I don’t leave the house when...

Why not the others?

  • йду = I am going / I’m walking
    This is more about the action of going, not specifically going out from inside.
  • вийду = I will go out / I will leave
    This is future perfective, so it would describe a single future action, not a general rule.

So Я не виходжу з дому... sounds like a general habit or usual behavior.

Why is the verb in the present tense if the sentence can translate as a general habit?

In Ukrainian, the present tense is often used for regular, repeated, or general actions, just like in English:

  • Я не виходжу з дому, коли... = I don’t leave the house when...
  • Вона п’є каву вранці. = She drinks coffee in the morning.

So не виходжу does not mean only I am not going out right now. In context, it means I don’t go out / I don’t leave the house as a general rule.

Why is it з дому? What case is дому?

After the preposition з here, Ukrainian uses the genitive case to show movement out of somewhere.

So:

  • дім = house, home
  • з дому = out of the house / from home

This is why you do not use the basic dictionary form дім after з in this sentence.

A useful pattern:

  • з Києва = from Kyiv
  • з роботи = from work
  • з дому = from home
Why is it дому and not дома?

Both дому and дома can be genitive forms of дім, and both exist in Ukrainian. But з дому is a very common and natural expression meaning from home / out of the house.

For a learner, the safest thing is simply to remember:

  • Я вдома = I’m at home
  • Я виходжу з дому = I’m leaving home / I go out from home

So even though you may see other forms in dictionaries or literature, з дому is the standard phrase to learn first.

Why is it коли and not якщо?

Коли means when, but in sentences like this it often has the sense of whenever.

So:

  • Я не виходжу з дому, коли на вулиці слизько.
    = I don’t go out when / whenever it’s slippery outside.

This describes a repeated situation or a habit.

By contrast, якщо means if and sounds more conditional or hypothetical:

  • Я не вийду з дому, якщо на вулиці буде слизько.
    = I won’t leave the house if it’s slippery outside.

That version is more about one future situation, not a general rule.

Why is it на вулиці? Does it literally mean on the street?

Yes, literally на вулиці means on the street, but in Ukrainian it is also a very common way to say outside / outdoors.

So in many contexts:

  • на вулиці холодно = it’s cold outside
  • на вулиці темно = it’s dark outside
  • на вулиці слизько = it’s slippery outside

This is one of those phrases that should be learned as a natural expression, even if the literal wording feels a bit different from English.

What case is вулиці in?

Here вулиці is in the locative case because it follows the preposition на in a location meaning:

  • вулиця = street
  • на вулиці = on the street / outside

The locative is commonly used after в and на when talking about being in or at a place.

Compare:

  • на столі = on the table
  • у школі = at school
  • на вулиці = outside / on the street
Why is there no verb in коли на вулиці слизько? Where is is?

Ukrainian often does not use a present-tense verb equivalent to is in sentences like this.

So:

  • на вулиці слизько literally looks like outside slippery
  • natural English: it is slippery outside

This is completely normal in Ukrainian. In the present tense, бути (to be) is usually omitted.

So the structure is not incomplete. It is a normal Ukrainian sentence pattern.

What exactly is слизько? Is it an adjective?

Слизько is not a normal adjective here. It is a predicative word or state word, used in impersonal expressions about conditions.

It works like:

  • холодно = cold
  • тепло = warm
  • темно = dark
  • слизько = slippery

These words often describe the environment rather than a specific noun.

So:

  • Дорога слизька. = The road is slippery.
    Here слизька is a regular adjective agreeing with дорога.
  • На вулиці слизько. = It’s slippery outside.
    Here слизько describes the general condition.
Why doesn’t Ukrainian use a word for it in it’s slippery outside?

Because Ukrainian commonly uses impersonal constructions for weather, environment, and general conditions.

English often needs a dummy subject:

  • it’s cold
  • it’s dark
  • it’s slippery

Ukrainian usually does not:

  • холодно
  • темно
  • слизько

So на вулиці слизько is the normal way to express that idea. There is no need for a separate word meaning it.

Can the word order be changed?

Yes. Ukrainian word order is fairly flexible, though the default version here is very natural:

  • Я не виходжу з дому, коли на вулиці слизько.

You could also say:

  • Коли на вулиці слизько, я не виходжу з дому.

This puts more focus on the condition first: When it’s slippery outside, I don’t leave the house.

The meaning stays basically the same. The difference is mostly about emphasis and flow.

Why is не written separately from виходжу?

In Ukrainian, не is usually written separately with verbs:

  • не знаю = I don’t know
  • не хочу = I don’t want
  • не виходжу = I don’t go out / I don’t leave

So не виходжу is the normal spelling.

Learners sometimes expect a single word because some languages attach negation more tightly, but in Ukrainian with verbs, separate spelling is the standard pattern.

Could this sentence also mean I don’t leave home when the streets are icy?

Yes, that is a very natural interpretation.

The phrase на вулиці слизько is somewhat broad. It can mean:

  • it’s slippery outside
  • the street is slippery
  • the roads/sidewalks are slippery
  • conditions outside are icy/slippery

So depending on context, English could translate it in slightly different ways. The Ukrainian sentence itself sounds normal and natural for any of those general slippery-outside meanings.

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