How to Use Relative Clauses and Relative Pronouns in Ukrainian

Understanding Relative Clauses in Ukrainian

Relative clauses are used to provide additional information about a noun without starting a new sentence. In Ukrainian, relative clauses function similarly to English but have unique features due to the language's case system and gender agreement.

What is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun or pronoun, often introduced by a relative pronoun. For example, in English: "The man who is speaking is my teacher." The phrase "who is speaking" is the relative clause describing "the man."

Relative Pronouns in Ukrainian

Ukrainian uses specific relative pronouns to introduce relative clauses. These pronouns agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they refer to.

The most common Ukrainian relative pronouns are:

• який (yakyy) – masculine singular
• яка (yaka) – feminine singular
• яке (yake) – neuter singular
• які (yaki) – plural for all genders

These pronouns correspond to the English "who," "which," or "that."

Declension of Relative Pronouns

Because Ukrainian is an inflected language, relative pronouns change form depending on their grammatical case in the sentence. Here is the declension of "який" in singular masculine:

1. Nominative: який
2. Genitive: якого
3. Dative: якому
4. Accusative: який / якого (depends on animacy)
5. Instrumental: яким
6. Locative: якому

Similar declensions apply for feminine, neuter, and plural forms with appropriate endings.

Forming Relative Clauses in Ukrainian

To form a relative clause, place the relative pronoun after the noun it modifies, followed by the verb and other elements of the clause. The relative pronoun must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Example:

Notes on Punctuation

In Ukrainian, relative clauses are usually separated by commas if they provide additional, non-essential information (non-restrictive). If the clause is essential to the meaning (restrictive), commas are not used.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

English speakers often forget to decline the relative pronoun according to its role in the relative clause. Remember to adjust the pronoun's case to match its function in the clause, not just the noun it refers to.

Also, be careful with animacy in the accusative case, as it affects the form of the relative pronoun.