My World: Objects
Warm-up
Imagine you're in a new Ukrainian apartment. You're standing in the kitchen. Your friend hands you a phone. «Це телефон,» they say. You point to a cup on the table: «Ця чашка?» They nod. You gesture to a window across the room: «Те вікно?» Again, they agree.
You've just used Ukrainian demonstratives. Words that point to things. Words that say «this one» or «that one.» In Ukrainian, these pointing words change based on what you're pointing at. Not just near or far, but masculine, feminine, or neuter.
By the end of this module, you'll be able to navigate your entire living space in Ukrainian, pointing to objects and naming them with confidence. Let's start with the closest things around you.
💡 Did You Know?
You already learned about noun gender in Module 03. Now you'll use that knowledge every time you point to something! Ukrainian demonstratives change based on gender: one form for masculine, another for feminine, another for neuter, and a special plural form for all genders.
Presentation
The Near Demonstratives: цей, ця, це, ці (this/these)
When you point to something close to you, use forms of цей (tsey):
| Gender | Singular | Example | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | цей | цей стілець | tsey stilets' | this chair |
| Feminine | ця | ця чашка | tsya chashka | this cup |
| Neuter | це | це вікно | tse vikno | this window |
| Plural (all) | ці | ці ключі | tsi klyuchi | these keys |
The pattern is simple: match the demonstrative to the noun's gender. If the noun is masculine, use цей. If feminine, use ця. If neuter, use це. If plural (any gender), use ці.
Quick Examples:
- Цей телефон (Tsey telefon) — This phone (m)
- Ця сумка (Tsya sumka) — This bag (f)
- Це дзеркало (Tse dzerkalo) — This mirror (n)
- Ці ключі (Tsi klyuchi) — These keys (pl)
💡 Did You Know?
The word телефон (telefon) in Ukrainian is masculine, just like many technology words. But лампа (lamp) is feminine. Why? Ukrainian inherited gender from ancient patterns where objects associated with certain uses had certain genders. Lamps were traditionally feminine, tools masculine, and abstract concepts neuter.
The Far Demonstratives: той, та, те, ті (that/those)
For objects located at a distance, we use forms of той (toy):
| Gender | Singular | Example | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | той | той стілець | toy stilets' | that chair |
| Feminine | та | та чашка | ta chashka | that cup |
| Neuter | те | те вікно | te vikno | that window |
| Plural (all) | ті | ті ключі | ti klyuchi | those keys |
Notice the pattern: той (m), та (f), те (n), ті (pl). Same logic as цей, just for distant objects.
🔍 Myth Buster
Myth: «Це is always 'this.'» Fact: Це has two jobs! It's the neuter form of «this» (це вікно = this window). But it also means «this is» in general statements (Це книга = This is a book). Context tells you which one!
Gender Agreement Matters
You already learned gender in Module 03. Now you're using it in real sentences. Every time you point to something, your demonstrative must match the noun's gender.
Kitchen Objects:
- Цей ніж (tsey nizh) — this knife (m)
- Ця ложка (tsya lozhka) — this spoon (f)
- Це блюдо (tse blyudo) — this dish (n)
Furniture:
- Той диван (toy dyvan) — that couch (m)
- Та шафа (ta shafa) — that wardrobe (f)
- Те крісло (te krislo) — that armchair (n)
Room Parts:
- Ця стіна (tsya stina) — this wall (f)
- Цей стелю... wait! Стеля is feminine! → Ця стеля (tsya stelya) — this ceiling (f)
- Це вікно (tse vikno) — this window (n)
⚡ Pro Tip
Most household objects ending in -а or -я are feminine (чашка, ложка, виделка, сумка). Most ending in consonants are masculine (ніж, стіл, телефон, ключ). Most ending in -о are neuter (вікно, дзеркало). This pattern works 90% of the time!
Practice
In the Kitchen
You're cooking with a Ukrainian friend. They hand you items and you name them:
— Що це? (Shcho tse?) — What is this?
— Це ніж. (Tse nizh.) — This is a knife.
— а це? (A tse?) — And this?
— Це виделка. (Tse vydelka.) — This is a fork.
— а ця? (A tsya?) — And this one? (feminine implied)
— Ця ложка. (Tsya lozhka.) — This spoon.
Notice how «Це» introduces objects (This is a...), but «ця» points to something specific (this one, feminine).
In the Living Room
You're describing furniture to someone on the phone:
— Де твій телефон? (De tviy telefon?) — Where is your phone?
— Він на тому столі. (Vin na tomu stoli.) — It's on that table.
— а пульт? (A pul't?) — And the remote?
— Цей пульт на дивані. (Tsey pul't na dyvani.) — This remote is on the couch.
🎬 Pop Culture Moment: The Witcher
In the Ukrainian dub of The Witcher, when Geralt points to objects, he uses perfect demonstrative agreement. «Цей меч» (this sword, m), «Та книга» (that book, f). Even fictional monster hunters follow Ukrainian grammar!
Everyday Scenarios
At Home:
- Це моя сумка. (Tse moya sumka.) — This is my bag.
- Той рюкзак теж мій. (Toy ryukzak tezh miy.) — That backpack is also mine.
- Ця лампа не працює. (Tsya lampa ne pratsyuye.) — This lamp doesn't work.
Looking for Something:
- Де мій телефон? (De miy telefon?) — Where is my phone?
- Ось! Цей телефон! (Os'! Tsey telefon!) — Here! This phone!
Asking About Objects:
- Що це? (Shcho tse?) — What is this?
- Це холодильник. (Tse kholodyl'nyk.) — This is a refrigerator.
Mini-Dialogue 1: Lost Keys
— Де мої ключі? (De moyi klyuchi?) — Where are my keys?
— Ці ключі? (Tsi klyuchi?) — These keys?
— Так! Дякую! (Tak! Dyakuyu!) — Yes! Thank you!
Mini-Dialogue 2: Choosing Furniture
— Цей стілець гарний? (Tsey stilets' harnyy?) — Is this chair nice?
— Так! Цей стілець гарний. (Tak! Tsey stilets' harnyy.) — Yes! This chair is nice.
— а те крісло? (A te krislo?) — And that armchair?
— Те крісло теж гарне. (Te krislo tezh harne.) — That armchair is also nice.
Mini-Dialogue 3: Showing Around
— Це моя кімната. (Tse moya kimnata.) — This is my room.
— О! Ця лампа дуже гарна! (O! Tsya lampa duzhe harna!) — Oh! This lamp is very nice!
— Дякую! Той годинник теж новий. (Dyakuyu! Toy hodynnyk tezh novyy.) — Thank you! That clock is also new.
Cultural Insight
The Ukrainian Home
Historical Context: Ukrainian homes reflect a blend of Soviet-era apartment design and modern European styles. During the Soviet period (1922-1991), most urban Ukrainians were assigned apartments in large residential blocks called «хрущовки» (khrushchyovky, named after Soviet leader Khrushchev). These apartments were small, standardized, and built quickly to house the growing urban population. Many Ukrainians still live in these buildings, though they've been modernized over the decades.
After Ukrainian independence in 1991, housing styles began to diversify. New construction follows European standards, with larger apartments, better layouts, and modern amenities. However, Soviet-era apartments remain the most common type of housing in Ukrainian cities.
Modern Reality: Most Ukrainians live in apartments (квартири), not houses. In cities like Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Odesa, apartments dominate the housing market. Private houses (будинки) are more common in villages and small towns, but even there, the Soviet apartment legacy is visible.
The typical Ukrainian apartment layout includes:
- Кухня (kukhnya) — Kitchen, the social heart of the home
- Вітальня (vital'nya) — Living room
- Спальня (spal'nya) — Bedroom
- Ванна (vanna) — Bathroom
In Ukrainian culture, it's customary to remove shoes when entering someone's home. The host will often offer тапочки (tapochky, slippers). When visiting, bringing a small gift like flowers or chocolates is appreciated.
🌍 Real World
When you visit a Ukrainian friend's apartment, you'll hear: «Заходь! Це наша кухня. Ця мікрохвильовка нова. Той холодильник старий.» (Come in! This is our kitchen. This microwave is new. That refrigerator is old.) Demonstratives are everywhere in daily conversation!
Household Technology
The Modernization Wave: Ukrainian homes have rapidly modernized since independence in 1991, and especially after 2014 when Ukraine began aligning more closely with European standards. During the Soviet era, many modern appliances were scarce or low-quality. Today, Ukrainian homes are equipped with the same technology you'd find in any European country.
Linguistic Note on Gender: Unlike English, Ukrainian assigns gender to all these modern words. This can seem arbitrary to English speakers, but there are patterns. Technology words borrowed from English or French tend to be masculine if they end in consonants (телефон, комп'ютер). Appliances with the diminutive suffix -ка tend to be feminine (мікрохвильовка). This is because -ка is historically a feminine ending in Ukrainian.
Common household objects include:
- Телефон (telefon) — phone (mobile or landline)
- Комп'ютер (komp'yuter) — computer
- Мікрохвильовка (mikrokhvyl'ovka) — microwave
- Праска (praska) — iron
Production
Now practice pointing to objects around you. Look at your room or workspace. Point and name:
Near you:
- Цей... (this + masculine object)
- Ця... (this + feminine object)
- Це... (this + neuter object)
- Ці... (these + any plural objects)
Far from you:
- Той... (that + masculine object)
- Та... (that + feminine object)
- Те... (that + neuter object)
- Ті... (those + any plural objects)
Try building full sentences: «Це моя чашка. Та чашка не моя.» (This is my cup. That cup is not mine.)
📋 Підсумок
In this module, you learned:
Near Demonstratives (this/these):
- цей (tsey) — masculine singular
- ця (tsya) — feminine singular
- це (tse) — neuter singular
- ці (tsi) — all plurals
Far Demonstratives (that/those):
- той (toy) — masculine singular
- та (ta) — feminine singular
- те (te) — neuter singular
- ті (ti) — all plurals
Key Rule: Demonstratives MUST agree with the gender of the noun they point to.
40 New Words:
- Kitchen items: чашка, ложка, виделка, ніж, тарілка, склянка, пляшка
- Household objects: телефон, ключ, сумка, рюкзак, гаманець, комп'ютер
- Furniture: стілець, диван, крісло, ліжко, шафа
- Appliances: холодильник, плита, мікрохвильовка, праска, пилосос
- Room parts: двері, вікно, стіна, підлога, стеля, лампа, годинник, дзеркало, картина, кухня
- Other: цей, ця, це, ці, той, та, те, ті, пульт, гарний
Need More Practice?
External Review
🎯 Activities
Demonstratives and Gender
Objects and Translations
Sort by Gender
Masculine
Feminine
Neuter
Choose the Correct Demonstrative
___ телефон
___ чашка
___ вікно
___ ключі
___ диван
___ шафа
___ крісло
___ двері
___ лампа
___ пилосос
___ дзеркало
___ картини
Complete with Demonstratives
Demonstrative Agreement
«Цей» is used with masculine singular nouns.
«Ця» is used with feminine singular nouns.
«Це» is used with masculine singular nouns.
«Ці» is used with all plural nouns regardless of gender.
«Той» is used with feminine singular nouns.
«Та» is used with feminine singular nouns.
«Те» is used with neuter singular nouns.
«Ті» is used with all plural nouns.
«Це» can only mean "this" (neuter).
Demonstratives must agree with the gender of the noun.
Most objects ending in -а or -я are feminine.
Most objects ending in consonants are masculine.
Build the Word
Complete the Dialogue
📚 Vocabulary
| Word | IPA | English | POS | Gender | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| блюдо | /blˈjudɔ/ | dish | noun | с | |
| ванний | /ʋˈannɪj/ | bath (adj) | adj | ||
| виделка | /ʋɪdˈɛlka/ | fork | noun | ж | |
| вітальня | /ʋitˈalʲnja/ | living room | noun | ж | |
| гарне | /ɦˈarnɛ/ | good, beautiful (neuter) | noun | с | |
| годинник | /ɦɔdˈɪnnɪk/ | clock, watch | noun | ч | |
| дзеркало | /dzˈɛrkalɔ/ | mirror | noun | с | |
| заходити | /zaxɔdɪtɪ/ | to enter, to visit | verb | ||
| квартира | /kʋartˈɪra/ | apartment, flat | noun | ж | |
| ключ | /kljut͡ʃ/ | key, wrench | noun | ч | |
| ключі | /kljut͡ʃˈi/ | keys | noun | ||
| комп'ютер | /kɔmpˈjutɛr/ | computer | noun | ч | |
| лампа | /lˈampa/ | lamp | noun | ж | |
| ложка | /lˈɔʒka/ | spoon | noun | ж | |
| меч | /mɛt͡ʃ/ | sword | noun | ч | |
| мікрохвильовка | /mikrɔxʋɪlʲɔʋka/ | microwave | noun | ж | |
| ніж | /niʒ/ | knife, than | conj | ||
| праска | /prˈaska/ | iron (for clothes) | noun | ж | |
| пульт | /pulʲt/ | remote control | noun | ч | |
| рюкзак | /rjukzˈak/ | backpack | noun | ч | |
| спальня | /spˈalʲnja/ | bedroom | noun | ж | |
| старий | /starˈɪj/ | old | noun | ч | |
| сумка | /sˈumka/ | bag, handbag | noun | ж | |
| тапочки | /tˈapɔt͡ʃkɪ/ | slippers | noun | ||
| холодильник | /xɔlɔdˈɪlʲnɪk/ | refrigerator | noun | ч | |
| хрущовка | /xruʃt͡ʃˈɔʋka/ | Khrushchyovka (apartment) | noun | ж | |
| чашка | /t͡ʃˈaʃka/ | cup | noun | ж |