Is it correct (or obligatory) to put a comma before the word “що” in Ukrainian?












9














I was told that normally Ukrainian people almost always put a comma before the word "що" in Ukrainian language? Is it true and correct or it is common mistake? For me as a non Ukrainian native speaker it's not natural to understand the reason for this comma in such sentences:




Я знаю, що ти гордий.



Я думаю, що ти був там.



Він сказав, що він багатий.











share|improve this question





























    9














    I was told that normally Ukrainian people almost always put a comma before the word "що" in Ukrainian language? Is it true and correct or it is common mistake? For me as a non Ukrainian native speaker it's not natural to understand the reason for this comma in such sentences:




    Я знаю, що ти гордий.



    Я думаю, що ти був там.



    Він сказав, що він багатий.











    share|improve this question



























      9












      9








      9







      I was told that normally Ukrainian people almost always put a comma before the word "що" in Ukrainian language? Is it true and correct or it is common mistake? For me as a non Ukrainian native speaker it's not natural to understand the reason for this comma in such sentences:




      Я знаю, що ти гордий.



      Я думаю, що ти був там.



      Він сказав, що він багатий.











      share|improve this question















      I was told that normally Ukrainian people almost always put a comma before the word "що" in Ukrainian language? Is it true and correct or it is common mistake? For me as a non Ukrainian native speaker it's not natural to understand the reason for this comma in such sentences:




      Я знаю, що ти гордий.



      Я думаю, що ти був там.



      Він сказав, що він багатий.








      граматика non-native-speaker






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited Dec 16 at 22:18









      bytebuster

      9,67942886




      9,67942886










      asked Dec 16 at 20:19









      Ubiquitous Student

      29918




      29918






















          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          9














          No, not always.





          Що may have several functions:





          • A demonstrating pronoun (cf. English what)




            Що ти читав учора? — "What did you read yesterday?"




            Since we have free word order, the following sentence is equally valid:




            Учора ти що читав? — literally, "yesterday you what read?"




            This requires no comma.




          • A subordinating conjunction that join a dependent clause (cf. English that or which):




            [Я думаю], → що → [ти був там]




            In Ukrainian, the clauses (both dependent and independent) have to be separated with punctuation (comma). The square brackets in quote above denote the clauses, and the arrow shows dependency.

            In other words, The comma is needed to separate the dependent clause, not because of що.




          Also consider:





          • Я думаю, що ти був там — here, що is optional, it can be skipped. The comma is retained.


          • Я знаю, який твій улюблений колір — "I know (comma) which is your favorite color" — here we have a totally different conjunction, but the pattern is the same: a dependent clause requires comma.


          • Він розповів, чому він був там — "He told (comma) why he was there" — yet another conjunction.




          The same applies to many Slavonic languages, and this is the reason why you may encounter people who write English and make typically Slavonic mistakes, for example:




          I know, (comma) that you've been there;



          I like, (comma) when you sing;



          Please, (comma) tell me... — although lexically "please" is a particle (unlike an adverb in English), some linguists consider "please" as a separate sentence similar to "be kind", and that's why it requires comma.







          share|improve this answer

















          • 2




            Tank you for the answer. Indeed, I saw people who wrote me in such way in English and it was weird, so I decided to check out where it comes from, and they told me that this is the rule in Ukrainian so they believed it should be the same in English as you said:)
            – Ubiquitous Student
            Dec 17 at 1:18











          Your Answer








          StackExchange.ready(function() {
          var channelOptions = {
          tags: "".split(" "),
          id: "672"
          };
          initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

          StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
          // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
          if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
          StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
          createEditor();
          });
          }
          else {
          createEditor();
          }
          });

          function createEditor() {
          StackExchange.prepareEditor({
          heartbeatType: 'answer',
          autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
          convertImagesToLinks: false,
          noModals: true,
          showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
          reputationToPostImages: null,
          bindNavPrevention: true,
          postfix: "",
          imageUploader: {
          brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
          contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
          allowUrls: true
          },
          noCode: true, onDemand: true,
          discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
          ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
          });


          }
          });














          draft saved

          draft discarded


















          StackExchange.ready(
          function () {
          StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fukrainian.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f5292%2fis-it-correct-or-obligatory-to-put-a-comma-before-the-word-%25d1%2589%25d0%25be-in-ukrainian%23new-answer', 'question_page');
          }
          );

          Post as a guest















          Required, but never shown

























          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes








          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes









          9














          No, not always.





          Що may have several functions:





          • A demonstrating pronoun (cf. English what)




            Що ти читав учора? — "What did you read yesterday?"




            Since we have free word order, the following sentence is equally valid:




            Учора ти що читав? — literally, "yesterday you what read?"




            This requires no comma.




          • A subordinating conjunction that join a dependent clause (cf. English that or which):




            [Я думаю], → що → [ти був там]




            In Ukrainian, the clauses (both dependent and independent) have to be separated with punctuation (comma). The square brackets in quote above denote the clauses, and the arrow shows dependency.

            In other words, The comma is needed to separate the dependent clause, not because of що.




          Also consider:





          • Я думаю, що ти був там — here, що is optional, it can be skipped. The comma is retained.


          • Я знаю, який твій улюблений колір — "I know (comma) which is your favorite color" — here we have a totally different conjunction, but the pattern is the same: a dependent clause requires comma.


          • Він розповів, чому він був там — "He told (comma) why he was there" — yet another conjunction.




          The same applies to many Slavonic languages, and this is the reason why you may encounter people who write English and make typically Slavonic mistakes, for example:




          I know, (comma) that you've been there;



          I like, (comma) when you sing;



          Please, (comma) tell me... — although lexically "please" is a particle (unlike an adverb in English), some linguists consider "please" as a separate sentence similar to "be kind", and that's why it requires comma.







          share|improve this answer

















          • 2




            Tank you for the answer. Indeed, I saw people who wrote me in such way in English and it was weird, so I decided to check out where it comes from, and they told me that this is the rule in Ukrainian so they believed it should be the same in English as you said:)
            – Ubiquitous Student
            Dec 17 at 1:18
















          9














          No, not always.





          Що may have several functions:





          • A demonstrating pronoun (cf. English what)




            Що ти читав учора? — "What did you read yesterday?"




            Since we have free word order, the following sentence is equally valid:




            Учора ти що читав? — literally, "yesterday you what read?"




            This requires no comma.




          • A subordinating conjunction that join a dependent clause (cf. English that or which):




            [Я думаю], → що → [ти був там]




            In Ukrainian, the clauses (both dependent and independent) have to be separated with punctuation (comma). The square brackets in quote above denote the clauses, and the arrow shows dependency.

            In other words, The comma is needed to separate the dependent clause, not because of що.




          Also consider:





          • Я думаю, що ти був там — here, що is optional, it can be skipped. The comma is retained.


          • Я знаю, який твій улюблений колір — "I know (comma) which is your favorite color" — here we have a totally different conjunction, but the pattern is the same: a dependent clause requires comma.


          • Він розповів, чому він був там — "He told (comma) why he was there" — yet another conjunction.




          The same applies to many Slavonic languages, and this is the reason why you may encounter people who write English and make typically Slavonic mistakes, for example:




          I know, (comma) that you've been there;



          I like, (comma) when you sing;



          Please, (comma) tell me... — although lexically "please" is a particle (unlike an adverb in English), some linguists consider "please" as a separate sentence similar to "be kind", and that's why it requires comma.







          share|improve this answer

















          • 2




            Tank you for the answer. Indeed, I saw people who wrote me in such way in English and it was weird, so I decided to check out where it comes from, and they told me that this is the rule in Ukrainian so they believed it should be the same in English as you said:)
            – Ubiquitous Student
            Dec 17 at 1:18














          9












          9








          9






          No, not always.





          Що may have several functions:





          • A demonstrating pronoun (cf. English what)




            Що ти читав учора? — "What did you read yesterday?"




            Since we have free word order, the following sentence is equally valid:




            Учора ти що читав? — literally, "yesterday you what read?"




            This requires no comma.




          • A subordinating conjunction that join a dependent clause (cf. English that or which):




            [Я думаю], → що → [ти був там]




            In Ukrainian, the clauses (both dependent and independent) have to be separated with punctuation (comma). The square brackets in quote above denote the clauses, and the arrow shows dependency.

            In other words, The comma is needed to separate the dependent clause, not because of що.




          Also consider:





          • Я думаю, що ти був там — here, що is optional, it can be skipped. The comma is retained.


          • Я знаю, який твій улюблений колір — "I know (comma) which is your favorite color" — here we have a totally different conjunction, but the pattern is the same: a dependent clause requires comma.


          • Він розповів, чому він був там — "He told (comma) why he was there" — yet another conjunction.




          The same applies to many Slavonic languages, and this is the reason why you may encounter people who write English and make typically Slavonic mistakes, for example:




          I know, (comma) that you've been there;



          I like, (comma) when you sing;



          Please, (comma) tell me... — although lexically "please" is a particle (unlike an adverb in English), some linguists consider "please" as a separate sentence similar to "be kind", and that's why it requires comma.







          share|improve this answer












          No, not always.





          Що may have several functions:





          • A demonstrating pronoun (cf. English what)




            Що ти читав учора? — "What did you read yesterday?"




            Since we have free word order, the following sentence is equally valid:




            Учора ти що читав? — literally, "yesterday you what read?"




            This requires no comma.




          • A subordinating conjunction that join a dependent clause (cf. English that or which):




            [Я думаю], → що → [ти був там]




            In Ukrainian, the clauses (both dependent and independent) have to be separated with punctuation (comma). The square brackets in quote above denote the clauses, and the arrow shows dependency.

            In other words, The comma is needed to separate the dependent clause, not because of що.




          Also consider:





          • Я думаю, що ти був там — here, що is optional, it can be skipped. The comma is retained.


          • Я знаю, який твій улюблений колір — "I know (comma) which is your favorite color" — here we have a totally different conjunction, but the pattern is the same: a dependent clause requires comma.


          • Він розповів, чому він був там — "He told (comma) why he was there" — yet another conjunction.




          The same applies to many Slavonic languages, and this is the reason why you may encounter people who write English and make typically Slavonic mistakes, for example:




          I know, (comma) that you've been there;



          I like, (comma) when you sing;



          Please, (comma) tell me... — although lexically "please" is a particle (unlike an adverb in English), some linguists consider "please" as a separate sentence similar to "be kind", and that's why it requires comma.








          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered Dec 16 at 22:18









          bytebuster

          9,67942886




          9,67942886








          • 2




            Tank you for the answer. Indeed, I saw people who wrote me in such way in English and it was weird, so I decided to check out where it comes from, and they told me that this is the rule in Ukrainian so they believed it should be the same in English as you said:)
            – Ubiquitous Student
            Dec 17 at 1:18














          • 2




            Tank you for the answer. Indeed, I saw people who wrote me in such way in English and it was weird, so I decided to check out where it comes from, and they told me that this is the rule in Ukrainian so they believed it should be the same in English as you said:)
            – Ubiquitous Student
            Dec 17 at 1:18








          2




          2




          Tank you for the answer. Indeed, I saw people who wrote me in such way in English and it was weird, so I decided to check out where it comes from, and they told me that this is the rule in Ukrainian so they believed it should be the same in English as you said:)
          – Ubiquitous Student
          Dec 17 at 1:18




          Tank you for the answer. Indeed, I saw people who wrote me in such way in English and it was weird, so I decided to check out where it comes from, and they told me that this is the rule in Ukrainian so they believed it should be the same in English as you said:)
          – Ubiquitous Student
          Dec 17 at 1:18


















          draft saved

          draft discarded




















































          Thanks for contributing an answer to Ukrainian Language Stack Exchange!


          • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

          But avoid



          • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

          • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


          To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.





          Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.


          Please pay close attention to the following guidance:


          • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

          But avoid



          • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

          • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


          To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




          draft saved


          draft discarded














          StackExchange.ready(
          function () {
          StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fukrainian.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f5292%2fis-it-correct-or-obligatory-to-put-a-comma-before-the-word-%25d1%2589%25d0%25be-in-ukrainian%23new-answer', 'question_page');
          }
          );

          Post as a guest















          Required, but never shown





















































          Required, but never shown














          Required, but never shown












          Required, but never shown







          Required, but never shown

































          Required, but never shown














          Required, but never shown












          Required, but never shown







          Required, but never shown







          Popular posts from this blog

          Morgemoulin

          Scott Moir

          Souastre