Consonant Alternations in Ukrainian

Наприклад:

Do you sometimes confuse the verbs йти – ходи́ти, ї́хати – ї́здити while talking Ukrainian? Misusing the verbs of motion is one of the most common mistakes for foreigners learning Ukrainian. Today we will cover this topic.

Verbs of motion, unlike other verbs, are divided into uni- and multidirectional subsets. 

Unidirectional verbs indicate one trip in one direction in progress at the time of speech (in the past, present, or future tense).

Я йду в магази́н за́раз. – I’m going to the store now.

Коли́ я йшла в магази́н вчо́ра, я говори́ла по телефо́ну. – When I went to the store yesterday, I was talking on the phone.

Коли́ я йти́му в магази́н за́втра, я тобі́ зателефону́ю. – When I go to the store tomorrow, I will call you.

Multidirectional verbs are used for a single round trip, repeated round trips, repeated visits, a single trip in multiple directions, without indicating a specific direction, or to indicate movement itself.

Вчо́ра я ходи́ла в магази́н. – Yesterday I went to the store.

Я щодня́ ходжу́ в магази́н. – I go to the store every day.

Він лю́бить ї́здити на ску́тері мі́стом. – He likes to ride a scooter around the city.

Вчо́ра ми ці́лий день ходи́ли й ї́здили мі́стом. – Yesterday we walked and drove around the city the whole day.

In this chart, you see the most common verbs, which have two forms – uni- and multidirectional.

Part II

This post is the continuation of the previous one devoted to the consonants’ alternation in Ukrainian: ALTERNATIONS OF CONSONANTS IN UKRAINIAN

1. Natural for the Ukrainian language is the alternation of dental coronal consonants with hushing sounds in the verbs’ stems:

д – (д)ж, т – ч, з – ж, с – ш

and also: к – ч, х – ш, г – ж, ст – шч(щ)

E.g., радити (to advise, to recommend) – я раджу (але: ти радиш)

ходити – я ходжу (але: ти ходиш)

їздити – я їжджу (але: ти їздиш)

летіти (to fly) – я лечу (але: ти летиш)

возити (to transport) – я вожу (але: ти возиш)

чистити (to clean) – я чищу (але: ти чистиш)

прикрасити (to decorate pfv) – я прикрашу (але: ти прикрасиш)

кві́тка – кві́тці – на кві́тці

по́друга

підло́га

О́льга

му́ха

Put the verbs into I person singular:

пла́кати – я

могти́ –

бі́гти –

берегти́ –