HELLO, SPRING! ПРИВІТ, ВЕСНО!
Have you realized that spring (весна) is only three days away? As we count down to its arrival, we can’t help but smile and get excited. So, let’s welcome this wonderful time of the year by:
✔️ Learning some spring vocabulary
✔️ Exploring essential Ukrainian grammar with real examples
✔️ Listening to spring-inspired songs to set the perfect mood!
🌱 The Magic of Spring in Ukraine
Just imagine… The sun (сонце) is shining again, birds (птахи) are returning and chirping cheerfully, flowers (квіти) are blooming everywhere… A dream, right?
Well, maybe not just yet — the weather might still throw in a final “wait for it!” But for us, Ukrainians, March (березень) marks the official start of spring!
And even if весна is taking her time, we have a special way to call her in — веснянки!
Веснянки are ancient Slavic songs traditionally sung to celebrate the arrival of spring and prepare for the farming season. These songs were often performed with dances and playful games. People believed their energy would help nature awaken, allowing spring to defeat winter and bring life back to the world.
Want to experience this energy firsthand? Listen to SHUM (Noise) by GO-A! You might remember their iconic performance at Eurovision 2021, but did you know that SHUM is based on a traditional веснянка?
⏳ 0:17
Весняночко, весняночко, де ти зимувала?
Oh, Spring song, Spring song, where have you spent winter?
…
Заспіваю співаночку, нехай вона чує
I'll sing a song, let her hear it.
✅ And who is “her” (вона) here? Spring, of course! Весна is a feminine noun, as indicated by the -А ending. So, she will hear our song and arrive sooner!
Now that we’re in the right spring mood, let’s take this as a perfect opportunity to explore how "весна" changes across different cases in Ukrainian grammar — and yes, songs will be our guide!
🌱 Learning Ukrainian Cases with Spring Songs
✅ First, a Quick Rule
The noun весна belongs to a group of feminine nouns with a hard stem. This pattern applies to feminine nouns ending in -А, where the last consonant before -А is one of the following: б, в, г, ґ, д, з, к, л, м, н, п, с, т, ф, х.
Examples: весна, Україна, мама, родина, машина.
Why is this important? The case endings we’ll learn apply only to this group of nouns. Feminine nouns with soft or mixed stems follow a different pattern, so be mindful of the distinction.
Now that we’ve got the basics, let’s start learning!
- Nominative Case (Називний відмінок) – The base form
⏳ 0:50
А за вікном майже весна…
And behind the window, it’s almost spring.
✅ "Весна" stays unchanged in the nominative case.
- Genitive Case (Родовий відмінок)
⏳ 1:00
Дихає місто весни моє…
My city of spring is breathing…
✅ Rule: In genitive, replace -А with -И: весна → весни, Україна → України.
Interesting fact: The "city of spring" (місто весни) in this song is Lviv, one of Ukraine’s most magical cities in springtime!
- Instrumental Case (Орудний відмінок)
🎵 Один в каное – Місто весни (again!)
⏳ 0:30
Там пахне весною…
It smells like spring there.
✅ Rule: In instrumental, replace -А with -ОЮ: весна → весною, Україна → Україною.
- Accusative Case (Знахідний відмінок)
This year’s Ukrainian representatives at Eurovision, Ziferblat, also mention spring in their song, where it becomes a powerful symbol of hope and new beginnings after dark times.
⏳ 1:25
Спів перелітних пташок народить весну…
The song of migratory birds will birth spring.
✅ Rule: In accusative, replace -А with -У: весна → весну, Україна → Україну.
- Dative + Locative Cases (Давальний + Місцевий відмінок)
✅ Rule: Both cases replace -А with -І: весна → весні, Україна → Україні.
However, keep in mind that Locative needs a preposition!
✅ на/у весні
- Vocative Case (Кличний відмінок)
🎵 GO-A – SHUM (yes, again!)
Весняночко, весняночко!
Oh, Spring song, Spring song!
✅ Rule: In vocative, replace -А with -О: весна → весно, Україна → Україно.
Congratulations! You’ve just learned how весна changes across all Ukrainian cases. 🎉 Ukrainian grammar might seem tricky — I know! But wouldn’t you agree that music makes it so much easier?
You can also try applying the same changes to other feminine nouns with a hard stem such as мама, родина, машина (or any other noun that follows this pattern).
🌿 Final Inspiration
To finish on a poetic note, here’s an emotional remake by The Hardkiss of the iconic song "Два вікна" (Two windows) by Gaitana.
⏳ 0:51
Але без тебе ця весна – не моє життя.
But without you, this spring is not my life.
Весна is not just a season — it’s a symbol of love, renewal, and bright new beginnings. May your весна be filled with warmth, joy, and transformation!