Після ванни я беру гребінець і сідаю біля дзеркала.

Because після (after) requires the genitive case in Ukrainian.

• ванна = bath / bathtub in the dictionary form
• genitive singular: ванни

So:

• після ванни = after the bath / after bathing

This is a very common pattern:

• після уроку = after the lesson
• після роботи = after work
• після обіду = after lunch

So the form ванни is there because of the preposition після.

In this sentence, ванна most naturally means a bath. So після ванни means after having a bath or after bath time.

Depending on context, ванна can also mean the physical bathtub, but here the phrase clearly refers to the activity/result of bathing.

A learner should also know these related words:

• ванна = bath
• душ = shower
• після душу = after a shower

So this sentence sounds like a normal everyday routine: after a bath, I take a comb and sit by the mirror.

In Ukrainian, the present tense is commonly used for habitual actions, just like in English:

• Я беру гребінець = I take a comb / I take the comb

This can mean:

• something happening right now, or
• something that happens regularly as part of a routine

So if the sentence is part of a description of daily habits, беру is completely normal.

Гребінець is the direct object of беру (I take), so it is in the accusative case.

However, for many masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular looks the same as the nominative singular.

So:

• nominative: гребінець
• accusative: гребінець

That is why the form does not change.

Compare:

• Я беру гребінець. = I take a comb.
• Я бачу стіл. = I see a table.

Both гребінець and стіл are masculine inanimate nouns, so the accusative matches the nominative.

Ukrainian has no articles like English a / an / the.

So:

• гребінець can mean a comb or the comb
• дзеркала can mean a mirror or the mirror

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, English might translate it as either:

• I take a comb and sit by the mirror, or
• I take the comb and sit by the mirror

Both are possible depending on the situation.

This is an important difference.

• сідаю = I sit down / I am taking a seat
• сиджу = I am sitting / I sit

So:

• сідаю біля дзеркала means I sit down by the mirror
• сиджу біля дзеркала would mean I am sitting by the mirror

The sentence describes the action of moving into a sitting position, so сідаю is the correct choice.

It is in the genitive case.

The preposition біля (near, by, beside) requires the genitive.

• dictionary form: дзеркало = mirror
• genitive singular: дзеркала

So:

• біля дзеркала = by the mirror / near the mirror

This is another very common Ukrainian pattern:

• біля дому = near the house
• біля вікна = by the window
• біля столу = near the table

They are similar, but not identical.

• біля дзеркала = by / near the mirror
• перед дзеркалом = in front of the mirror

In this sentence, біля дзеркала suggests being close to the mirror, probably at a dressing table or somewhere nearby.

If you wanted to stress position directly in front of it, you could say:

• сідаю перед дзеркалом

Also note the grammar difference:

• біля
  • genitive → біля дзеркала
• перед
  • instrumental → перед дзеркалом

Yes, я could be omitted.

Ukrainian often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb ending already makes the subject clear.

So both are possible:

• Після ванни я беру гребінець і сідаю біля дзеркала.
• Після ванни беру гребінець і сідаю біля дзеркала.

Both mean the same thing.

Including я can do a few things:

• make the sentence a little clearer
• sound slightly more explicit
• add a mild sense of emphasis

Since беру and сідаю both clearly show first person singular, the pronoun is not grammatically necessary.

The verbs here are used in a routine/habitual sense, so the imperfective is natural.

• беру comes from брати = to take
• сідаю comes from сідати = to sit down

In Ukrainian, only imperfective verbs have a true present tense meaning like I take, I sit down, I do.

Their perfective partners would usually refer to a completed future:

• взяти → візьму = I will take
• сісти → сяду = I will sit down

So if you are describing a repeated action or a general sequence in the present, imperfective forms are the normal choice.

Yes. Ukrainian word order is fairly flexible.

The sentence as written is natural:

• Після ванни я беру гребінець і сідаю біля дзеркала.

But other versions are also possible, for example:

• Я після ванни беру гребінець і сідаю біля дзеркала.
• Після ванни беру гребінець і сідаю біля дзеркала.

The basic meaning stays the same, but the emphasis can shift slightly.

The original version is a very neutral, natural way to say it.

Yes, in this sentence і is the normal word for and.

• беру гребінець і сідаю = I take a comb and sit down

Ukrainian also has й, which is basically a phonetic variant of і. Native speakers often choose і or й depending on sound and flow.

For example, you may see:

• я беру гребінець й сідаю

But і is the most straightforward form to learn first, and it is completely correct here.

A good word-by-word breakdown is:

• Після = after
• ванни = bath (genitive)
• я = I
• беру = take
• гребінець = comb
• і = and
• сідаю = sit down
• біля = by / near
• дзеркала = mirror (genitive)

So the structure is:

After + [genitive noun], I take + [direct object], and sit down by + [genitive noun].

That makes this sentence useful for learning three things at once:

• prepositions that require the genitive
• present tense for habitual actions
• the difference between sit down and be sitting