Back
Intermediate

The Past Tense

Gender-marked past

The past tense agrees in gender (and number)

-в (m), -ла (f), -ло (n), -ли (pl).

📊 Past tense (читати)
Subject Form
він (m) читав
вона (f) читала
воно (n) читало
вони (pl) читали
💬 Examples
Він читав. / Вона читала.
Vin chytav. / Vona chytala.
He read. / She read.
📝 -в (m) vs -ла (f)
Вони читали.
Vony chytaly.
They read.
📝 -ли (plural, all genders)
Built on the infinitive stem + -в / -ла

Drop -ти, add the gender ending.

💬 Examples
Я був удома.
Ya buv udoma.
I was at home. (m)
📝 бути → був
Я була вдома.
Ya bula vdoma.
I was at home. (f)
📝 була (feminine)
The past has no person endings — only gender/number

Agreement is with the subject's gender.

💬 Examples
Ти працював?
Ty pratsyuvav?
Did you work? (to a man)
📝 Gender agreement, not person
Ти працювала?
Ty pratsyuvala?
Did you work? (to a woman)
📝 Feminine -ла