Учора з крана текла вода, тому я взяв відро.

Because з here means from/out of, and after that meaning Ukrainian uses the genitive case.

• кран = tap, faucet
• з крана = from the tap

So кран changes to крана because it is in the genitive singular.

This is very common in Ukrainian:

• з дому = from the house
• з міста = from the city
• з крана = from the tap

Текла is the past tense feminine singular form of the verb текти = to flow / to run.

It is feminine because the subject is вода = water, and вода is a feminine noun in Ukrainian.

So:

• вода текла = the water was flowing / the water ran
• дощ ішов = the rain was falling
• молоко текло = the milk was flowing

In the past tense, Ukrainian verbs agree with the subject in gender and number.

In Ukrainian past tense, the verb usually agrees with the subject.

Here the subject is вода, which is:

• singular
• feminine

So the verb must also be:

• singular
• feminine

That is why we get:

• вода текла

Compare:

• вода текла = water was running
• чоловік тек... actually with текти, the masculine past form is тік: струмок тік is possible, though less common in everyday speech
• молоко текло = milk was flowing
• ріки текли = the rivers were flowing

Here текла вода means water was running / flowing.

With taps, pipes, rivers, and liquids, текти is a very natural verb. In English, we often say:

• Water was running from the tap
• Water was flowing from the tap

In Ukrainian, текла вода sounds natural for that situation.

It does not necessarily mean a dramatic stream. It can simply mean that water was coming out and flowing.

Because Ukrainian past tense does not need a separate verb like English was in this kind of sentence.

English:

• The water was flowing

Ukrainian:

• Вода текла

The single word текла already carries the past meaning.

This is normal in Ukrainian past tense:

• я взяв = I took
• вона прийшла = she came
• ми бачили = we saw

So you should not expect a separate word for was in sentences like this.

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

In this sentence:

• Учора з крана текла вода, тому я взяв відро.
• Yesterday water was running from the tap, so I took a bucket.

It connects the first idea to the result in the second idea.

A useful distinction:

• тому = therefore / so
• бо = because

Compare:

• Я взяв відро, бо з крана текла вода. = I took a bucket because water was running from the tap.
• З крана текла вода, тому я взяв відро. = Water was running from the tap, so I took a bucket.

Взяв is the past tense masculine singular form of взяти = to take.

It is masculine because the speaker is understood to be male.

So:

• я взяв = I took (male speaker)
• я взяла = I took (female speaker)

This is something English speakers often notice quickly: in Ukrainian, when you say I in the past tense, the verb still shows the speaker’s gender.

Examples:

• Я прийшов = I came (male)
• Я прийшла = I came (female)
• Я зробив = I did/made (male)
• Я зробила = I did/made (female)

Because відро is the direct object of взяв, so it is in the accusative case. But for an inanimate neuter singular noun, the accusative is usually the same as the nominative.

So:

• nominative: відро
• accusative: відро

That is why the form does not change.

Compare:

• Я взяв відро. = I took a bucket.
• Я бачу відро. = I see a bucket.

But some other nouns do change in the accusative, especially masculine animate nouns and many feminine nouns.

Because тому is connecting two clauses:

• Учора з крана текла вода
• я взяв відро

In Ukrainian, when two clauses are joined like this, a comma is normally used.

So the comma before тому is standard punctuation.

Yes. Ukrainian word order is quite flexible, although the original sentence is natural and neutral.

Original:

• Учора з крана текла вода, тому я взяв відро.

Possible variations:

• З крана вчора текла вода, тому я взяв відро.
• Я взяв відро, бо вчора з крана текла вода.

The meaning stays similar, but the emphasis changes.

• Учора at the beginning emphasizes yesterday
• з крана earlier in the sentence emphasizes from the tap
• starting with я взяв відро emphasizes the speaker’s action first

So yes, word order can move, but each version may sound slightly different in focus.

In the first clause, the subject is explicitly named: вода.

• з крана текла вода = water was running from the tap

So there is no need for a pronoun there.

In the second clause, the subject is the speaker, so я is used:

• я взяв відро = I took a bucket

Ukrainian often omits pronouns when they are clear from the verb or context, but speakers may still include them for clarity or emphasis.

For example, взяв відро could sometimes be enough in context, because взяв already suggests I if the speaker is talking about himself. But я взяв відро is completely normal and clear.

Взяв comes from взяти, which is perfective. It describes a completed action: I took a bucket.

If you said брав from брати instead, that would usually be imperfective, which can suggest process, repetition, or an unfinished action depending on context.

So:

• я взяв відро = I took a bucket, completed action
• я брав відро = I was taking / used to take a bucket / took a bucket repeatedly, depending on context

In this sentence, a one-time completed action is meant, so взяв is the natural choice.

Учора is a standard and very common way to say yesterday.

You may also see:

• вчора = yesterday

Both are used. In modern Ukrainian, вчора is probably more common in everyday speech, but учора is also correct and natural.

So this sentence could also be:

• Вчора з крана текла вода, тому я взяв відро.

Same meaning.

In careful spelling it is з крана, but in pronunciation the з often sounds more like с before the voiceless к.

So it may sound roughly like:

• с крана

This kind of sound adjustment is normal in Ukrainian speech. The spelling still remains з крана.

So:

• write: з крана
• often hear: something close to с крана

This is a pronunciation point, not a grammar change.