Standard Limit on Present Active Participles
In standard Ukrainian, you should avoid using present active participles (ending in -чий) to describe people or things performing an action. Instead, use a relative clause with який or a dedicated adjective.
How It Works
1. The Stylistic Rule
Active participles in the present tense (ending in -учий/-ючий or -ачий/-ячий) are generally considered stylistic errors or Russian calques in modern Ukrainian. To become proficient in standard style, replace them with:
- Relative Clauses: Instead of 'діюча особа', use особа, яка діє.
- Adjectives: Use standard adjectives like чинний (valid) instead of 'діючий', or зворушлива (touching) instead of 'хвилююча'.
- Nouns: Use specific agent nouns like виконувач обов’язків.
2. Standard Exceptions and Constraints
Some forms are accepted as adjectival forms describing permanent qualities (e.g., співучий, блискучий) or fixed technical terms (e.g., блукаючий нерв).
Crucially, reflexive verbs (ending in -ся) cannot form active participles in standard Ukrainian; a form like 'сміючийся' is incorrect and must be replaced by той, що сміється.
Note that past active participles in -лий (e.g., пожовклий, палий) are perfectly standard. In contrast, forms ending in -вший (like 'пожовтівший') are non-standard and should be avoided.
3. Morphology
In standard Ukrainian, active present participles are not formed from transitive verbs. Even for intransitive verbs, they are almost always replaced by relative clauses. When they appear as adjectivized forms, they are derived from the 3rd person plural (e.g., вони пишуть) by changing -ть to -чий and follow adjective gender agreement rules.
Examples (4)
- Студент, який працює в бібліотеці, отримав грант.
The student who works in the library received a grant.
Word by Word: Student, who works in library, received grant.
This uses a relative clause with 'який', which is the standard way to describe the student's ongoing action.
- Ми шукаємо виконувача обов'язків директора.
We are looking for an acting director.
Word by Word: We look-for performer of-duties of-director.
Instead of the participle 'виконуючого', the noun 'виконувач' (performer) is used.
- Це була дуже зворушлива історія.
It was a very touching story.
Word by Word: It was very touching story.
The adjective 'зворушлива' is preferred over the participle-like 'хвилююча'.
- Він ішов, читаючи книгу.
He walked while reading a book.
Word by Word: He walked, reading book.
Do not confuse participles with verbal adverbs like 'читаючи'. Verbal adverbs are perfectly standard and common.
Common Mistakes
Using 'бажаючі' to mean 'those who wish' or 'volunteers'.
Бажаючі можуть залишитися.Охочі можуть залишитися.In Ukrainian, 'охочі' (desirous/willing) is the standard adjective, or you can say ті, хто бажає (those who wish).
Directly translating English '-ing' adjectives into '-чий' forms.
Це був подорожуючий чоловік.Це був чоловік, який подорожує.Avoid 'подорожуючий'; use a relative clause to describe the person's activity.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the restrictions on active participles in Ukrainian, a learner needs to know how these participles are formed, how to replace them with relative clauses using 'який', and how some participles have transitioned into standard adjectives.
- Present Active Participle
Learners must first understand how present active participles are formed in order to recognize why they are restricted in standard Ukrainian.
Level 4 - який (відносний)Relative Clauses with Який
Relative clauses with 'який' are the primary grammatical substitute for active participles in neutral Ukrainian style.
Level 3 - Adjectivized Participle
Understanding how participles function as adjectives is necessary to distinguish between restricted verbal participles and acceptable adjectivized forms.
Level 4
Related Patterns
- -чийAdjectival Present Participles in -чий
Explains the specific set of '-чий' forms that have become standard adjectives and are not restricted.
Level 6 - -лийPast Active Participle in -лий
Unlike present participles, these past active forms (like 'yellowed') are standard in Ukrainian.
Level 4 - Imperfective Adverbial Participle
Learners often confuse restricted participles (adjectives) with these standard verbal adverbs (ending in -чи).
Level 4 - той, хто / те, щоCorrelative Relative Constructions
A common correlative structure used to avoid active participles when referring to a general group of people.
Level 3
Practice Standard Limit on Present Active Participles in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Ukrainian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
