Моя сестра не любить підмітати, але завжди приносить суху швабру.

Breakdown of Моя сестра не любить підмітати, але завжди приносить суху швабру.

мій
my
сестра
the sister
завжди
always
не
not
приносити
to bring
але
but
любити
to like
швабра
the mop
підмітати
to sweep
сухий
dry

Questions & Answers about Моя сестра не любить підмітати, але завжди приносить суху швабру.

Why is it моя сестра and not мій сестра?

Because сестра is a feminine singular noun, and мій must agree with it in gender, number, and case.

In the nominative singular:

  • мій = masculine
  • моя = feminine
  • моє = neuter
  • мої = plural

So:

  • мій брат = my brother
  • моя сестра = my sister
Why is любить translated as doesn’t like here, not doesn’t love?

The verb любити can mean both to love and to like, depending on context.

When it is followed by an infinitive, as in любить підмітати, it usually means to like doing something or to enjoy doing something.

So:

  • любить сестру = loves his/her sister
  • любить читати = likes reading
  • не любить підмітати = doesn’t like sweeping
Why is it любить and not любити?

Любити is the infinitive meaning to like / to love.

In the sentence, we need a conjugated verb because the subject is моя сестра = my sister / she. The correct 3rd person singular form is любить.

A few forms of любити:

  • я люблю = I like/love
  • ти любиш = you like/love
  • вона любить = she likes/loves

So Моя сестра не любить... means My sister does not like...

Why is підмітати in the infinitive?

After любить, Ukrainian normally uses the infinitive to say that someone likes or doesn’t like doing an action.

So the pattern is:

любити + infinitive

Examples:

  • любить читати = likes to read
  • любить готувати = likes to cook
  • не любить підмітати = doesn’t like to sweep

This works very much like English likes to sweep, though in English you can also say likes sweeping.

Why is не written separately from любить?

In Ukrainian, не is usually written as a separate word with verbs.

So:

  • не любить = does not like
  • не знає = does not know
  • не хоче = does not want

That is the normal rule here. So не любить is the expected spelling.

Why isn’t вона repeated before приносить?

Ukrainian often omits subject pronouns when the subject is already clear from context.

So instead of saying:

Моя сестра не любить підмітати, але вона завжди приносить суху швабру

it is very natural to say:

Моя сестра не любить підмітати, але завжди приносить суху швабру

The subject is still understood as my sister. Adding вона is possible, but it is less neutral and can sound more emphatic.

Why is it приносить and not something like принесе?

Приносить is the imperfective present form, and it fits well with завжди because the sentence describes a habitual, repeated action.

  • завжди приносить = always brings

If you used принесе, that would usually mean will bring once, as a future completed action:

  • вона принесе = she will bring

So with завжди, приносить is the natural choice.

Why do we say суху швабру and not суха швабра?

Because суху швабру is the accusative singular, used here for the direct object of приносить.

The noun швабра is feminine, and many feminine nouns ending in change to in the accusative singular:

  • nominative: суха швабра
  • accusative: суху швабру

The adjective must agree with the noun, so both words change:

  • сухасуху
  • швабрашвабру

This is the same pattern as:

  • я бачу нову книгу = I see a new book
  • вона приносить суху швабру = she brings a dry mop
Why is there a comma before але?

Because але means but, and in Ukrainian it normally takes a comma when it joins two clauses.

So:

  • Моя сестра не любить підмітати, але завжди приносить суху швабру.

This is very similar to English punctuation with but.

Can завжди go somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes. Ukrainian word order is fairly flexible, and завжди can move depending on emphasis.

The version in the sentence is neutral:

  • але завжди приносить суху швабру

You could also hear:

  • але приносить суху швабру завжди
  • але суху швабру завжди приносить

But those alternatives change the focus a little. The original order is the most natural, neutral one for a learner.

Is не любить підмітати, але завжди приносить суху швабру a fully natural combination of words?

It is grammatically correct, but the vocabulary combination is a little unusual.

Why? Because:

  • підмітати usually means to sweep
  • швабра means mop

People more often sweep with a broom (віник) and mop with a швабра.

So the sentence is understandable, especially if you imagine a dry mop, but it sounds a bit less typical than, for example:

  • не любить підмітати, але завжди приносить віник = doesn’t like sweeping, but always brings a broom
  • не любить мити підлогу, але завжди приносить швабру = doesn’t like mopping the floor, but always brings a mop

So this is more a vocabulary/style point than a grammar problem.

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