To achieve greater harmony in Ukrainian we need to avoid the accumulations of consonants. To do this, we use alternating of y – в, і – й and з-із-зі
Alternation of у-в
In the Ukrainian language, both the prepositions у, в, and the prefixes у-, в- alternate in words.
У is used in order to avoid the coincidence of consonants that are difficult to pronounce:
- between consonants:
Наш учи́тель був у теа́трі. – Our teacher was in the theater.
- regardless of the ending of the previous word, before the consonants в, ф and combinations of the letters лв, св, тв, хв, зв.:
Він був у Льво́ві. – They were in Lviv.
Вона́ поста́вила кві́ти у во́ду. – She put the flowers in the water.
- at the beginning of a sentence before a consonant:
У кімна́ті було́ сві́тло. – There was light in the room.
В is used to avoid the coincidence of vowels:
- between vowels:
А́нна ходи́ла в університе́т. – Anna went to university.
- after a vowel before most consonants (except в, ф, лв, св, тв, хв, зв.):
Вона́ була́ в теа́трі. – She was in the theater.
! Марі́я ї́хала у ваго́ні метро́. – Maria was riding in a metro car.
- at the beginning of a sentence before a vowel:
В Украї́ні за́раз те́пло. – It is warm in Ukraine now.
Note: The alternation у-в happens in some words to achieve euphony in Ukrainian (without changing their meaning):
учи́тель – вчи́тель (teacher), уже́ – вже (already), учо́ра – вчо́ра (yesterday)
У-в do not alternate:
- in words used only with в or only with у, for example:
- впра́ва (exercise), вступ (introduction), вла́сність (property), вплив (influence), взає́мини (relations), вда́ча (temper), вклад (contribution), вла́да (authority, power, governance);
- ува́га (attention), умо́ва (condition), уя́ва (imagination), ува́жність (attentiveness), узбере́жжя (coast), удача (luck), устано́ва (institution), ука́з (decree).
- in proper names and in words of foreign origin, for example:
- Уго́рщина (Hungary), Владисла́в (Vladislav), уто́пія (utopia)
Alternation of i-й
The conjunction і and the unstressed і at the beginning of a word in a number of cases alternate with й in the same positions as у – в.
І is used to avoid consonant coincidence, which is difficult to pronounce:
- between consonants:
Джон і Марк працю́ють у шко́лі. – John and Mark work at a school.
- at the beginning of a sentence and after a pause, which in writing is indicated by a comma, semicolon, colon, dots, parentheses:
І що ти плану́єш роби́ти? – And what are you planning to do?
- when comparing concepts (opposites):
Дні і ночі – days and nights
Батьки́ і ді́ти – parents and children
- before a word beginning with й, є, і, ю, я:
Яри́на і Ю́рій ра́зом були́ в Іспа́нії і Іта́лії. – Yaryna and Yuriy were together in Spain and Italy.
Й is used to avoid the coincidence of vowels:
- between vowels (except when the next word begins with є, і, ю, я):
Поліна й Анна гуляють. – Polina and Anna are walking.
! Поліна і Яна – Polina and Yana
- after a vowel before a consonant (except when the next word begins with й):
Марі́я й Павло́ вчо́ра ходи́ли в кі́но. – Maria and Pavlo went to the cinema yesterday.
! Марі́я і Йоган – Maria and Johan
Note: the conjunction та is used when there is already one і or й in the sentence, for variety.
Оле́г і Степа́н працюва́ли та слу́хали му́зику. – Oleg and Stepan were working and listening to music.
Note: The alternation і-й happens in some words to achieve euphony in Ukrainian (without changing their meaning):
імовірно – ймовірно (probably), іти – йти (go)
Alternation of з-із-зі
З is used to avoid the coincidence of vowels:
- between vowels:
Вона́ приї́хала з Оде́си. – She came from Odesa.
- after a consonant before a vowel
Він з Япо́нії. – He is from Japan.
- after a vowel before a consonant (except when the next word begins with с and ш)
А́нна прийшла́ з дру́гом. – Anna came with a friend.
Із is used to avoid consonant coincidence:
- between consonants:
Том родом із Канади. – Tom is from Canada
- between groups of consonants before or after them
Марі́я була́ ра́зом із дру́гом. – Maria was together with a friend.
Він приїхав із Франції. – He came from France.
Лист із Польщі. – A letter from Poland.
- in front of с, ш
Батько із сином – Father with son
Су́кня із шо́вку. – A dress made of silk.
Зі is also used to avoid consonant coincidence::
- in front of consonants з, с, ш, щ regardless of the ending of the previous word or pause (to avoid multiple identical sounds in a row).
Це моя по́друга зі шко́ли. – This is my friend from school.
- with expressions:
зі мною – with me
зі Львова – from Lviv
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