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- Topic: Ukrainian >
- "Я там."
40 Comments
484
The Ukrainian tends to omit the verb бути - to be in situations like this one. But it can also be: Я є (am) там.
When do we learn "I am here." ?
I could see telling someone "If you need me, I'll be there.", otherwise where ever I am is here. So this seems strange to me. Is it strange in Ukrainian too? or is this a normal thing to say?
If you're on the phone and the other person asks if you've heard about the new pizza place you could reply with "I am there."
I suppose you could! Thank you. You could as easily say "I am here." or perhaps better would be "It is here.", but you are more likely to say "That is where I am."
I say: "Я є тут". for "I am here." or "Я тут є." for "Here I am." "Я тут." Is more of a 'shortened' version like the compounded "I'm here."
I choose to use the Ukrainian verb 'Є' = 'TO BE' for the obvious reason: 'Existence' that 'Є' is NOT archaic as some people think it is.
If you, or your country want to 'exist' - meaning 'to be', - then choose to use the verb 'Є' ('to be') in your sentences.
I believe the 'Є' was 'removed' from the Ukrainian and other Slavic languages when the languages were under the Soviet Union's Russification program. What 'better' way to 'assimilate' the surrounding cultures & languages by 'removing' the 'existence' (the 'to BE' or 'Є') from the language! Food for thought.
I can picture someone using it in English if you are looking at a map or photograph.
We always omit the verb "to be", as Vinnfred already said. For example, Я студент ("I student" = I am a student), Як ти? ("How you?" = How are you?). It might be because "є" also often means "to have" in a reflexive way, e.g. У мене є кіт ("At me is cat" = I have a cat), so if you say Я є там or actually even Там є я it sounds more like "There is me there" or "They have me there" O_o
Replied in another comment, but can copy the reply everywhere in case other people stumble upon it :)
Ukrainian cursive/italics:
Thank you so much. I will save this to my favorites for sure. This is so helpful and it sure explains a great deal. I have come across that m for т before but I had not known what was going on.
Wow! The word for "I" in swedish is so simular! "Jag," and "Я," weird!
And in norwegian and danish of course! Not to forget spanish "yo" catalan "jo" french "je" and many others I suppose ;)
- 484
I think it may be used in a situation like this: your mother calls you and reminds you to go to grocery store (or visit granny) and you reply: I am (already) there - Я (вже) там.
Yes, it means "I" but not really "I am". "I am" would be literally translated as "я є" but as it was already pointed out by Vinnfred above, we just tend to omit the verb "бути" (to be). So we would normally say "я студент" instead of "я є студент" for "I am a student".
It's like a first person singular "are," or "is," like in: I am, you are, he/she/it is. Hope that helps.
Go to the 'Google Playstore', type in "Ukrainian font for " (put your type of phone - android, iphone, LG, etc. or your operating system PC or Mac in the . ) You will find many differnt Ukrainian font choices. Choose the one that suits your phone or computer best. I hope this helps.
How can I type the letters in Ucrainian into the answer box , please ? No idea !
I so wish they add a friggen keyboard for the letters on this damn site. I don't have the characters to write the reversed R. What is the equivalent on a English keyboard?
