The past tense in Ukrainian

It’s very easy to form the past tense in Ukrainian. You have to remember only 4 endings. Let’s see what you have to do step by step.

First, you remove “ти” from the verb (for example гада́ти –> гада-). Then you add one of these endings:

• -в for masculine singular (він гада́в)
• -ла for feminine singular (вона́ гада́ла)
• -ло for neuter singular (воно́ гада́ло)
• -ли for every form of plural (вони́́ гада́ли) and for both formal forms (Ви/ви гада́ли)

Examples:

• I thought (said by a woman):я гада́ла
• I thought (said by a man): я гада́в

• You did (it’s a woman who did): ти роби́ла
• You did (it’s a man who did): ти роби́в

• She saw: Вона́ ба́чила
• He saw: він ба́чив

• We wanted: Ми хотíли
• You (plural) wanted: Ви хотíли
• They wanted: Вони́ хотíли

• You talked (said to one person, addressing him or her formally): Ви розмовля́ли
• You talked (said to more than one person, addressing them formally): Ви розмовля́ли

Pronunciation of “Л”: Now you will see that, to build the past tense in Ukrainian, you only have to add “-в” (for masculine), “-ла” (for femenine) or “-ли” (for plural form) to the verb root. Pay attention to the sound of “л”: “-ли” sounds like in “litter”, but for “-ла” and “-ло” the sound is a bit different (similar to the one in “title”).

How to translate Ukrainian verbs in the past tense

In Ukrainian there is only one form to express the past tense. However, in English there are many.

This means that, for example, “я гада́в” could be translated for “I thought”, “I was thinking”, “I have thought” “I have been thinking”,… The context will always helps us know which “past” in English we should use.

Ukrainian conjugations: the verb “бу́ти” in the Past

Ukrainian conjugations: verbs “розмовля́ти” and “ба́чити”

In this lesson we give you the verb “ба́чити” (to see) conjugated in the present and past tenses. Compare it with the verb “розмовля́ти” (to speak).