за словами + Genitive
За Словами as Source Marker
Use за словами + Genitive Case to report what someone else said. It is the standard way to cite a source in news and formal writing.
How It Works
The phrase за словами literally translates to 'by the words of,' but functionally means 'according to [someone]' or 'in the words of [someone].' It is a highly productive construction in Ukrainian journalism and formal discourse.
1. Grammatical Structure:
The preposition за here governs the noun словами (instrumental plural), but the entire phrase acts as a unit that requires the following noun to be in the Genitive case. This noun can be expanded with adjectives (e.g., за словами місцевих жителів).
Personal pronouns are not used in the Genitive here; instead, they become possessive adjectives modifying словами in the Instrumental case (e.g., за моїми словами). For the 3rd-person plural, while the invariable їх is common, modern style guides strongly prefer the declinable possessive adjective їхніми (e.g., за їхніми словами).
2. Punctuation and Agreement:
This is a parenthetical construction (вставна конструкція) and must be set off by commas. Crucially, it is grammatically independent; it does not affect the subject-verb agreement of the main clause.
3. Usage Nuances:
Use за словами for attributing spoken or written statements. Use на думку for internal opinions or perspectives.
4. Animacy Restriction:
Unlike відповідно до, this phrase is used for people or organizations (e.g., поліція, уряд). For inanimate sources like laws or statistics, use за даними or згідно з.
Examples (4)
- За словами очевидців, аварія сталася близько десятої вечора.
According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred around ten in the evening.
Word by Word: By words [of] eyewitnesses, accident happened near tenth [of] evening.
Here, 'очевидців' is the plural genitive of 'очевидець'. The phrase attributes the timing of the accident to those who saw it.
- За словами речниці МЗС, візит президента було відкладено.
According to the MFA spokesperson, the president's visit was postponed.
Word by Word: By words [of] spokesperson [of] MFA, visit [of] president was postponed.
This uses the feminine genitive 'речниці'. It is a classic example of journalistic reporting.
- Ситуація на фронті залишається напруженою, за словами головнокомандувача.
The situation at the front remains tense, according to the commander-in-chief.
Word by Word: Situation on front remains tense, by words [of] commander-in-chief.
The phrase is placed at the end of the sentence, still requiring a comma and the genitive case for 'головнокомандувача'.
- За моїми словами, це рішення було помилковим.
According to my words, this decision was a mistake.
Word by Word: By my words, this decision was mistaken.
When referring to a person using a pronoun, the construction changes: instead of a genitive noun, we use a possessive adjective (like 'моїми', 'твоїми', 'її') to modify the word 'словами' in the instrumental case.
Common Mistakes
Using the Dative case instead of the Genitive.
За словами міністру, реформа почнеться завтра.За словами міністра, реформа почнеться завтра.Learners often mistakenly use the Dative case (міністру) due to interference from other languages. In Ukrainian, the source of information must always be in the Genitive case (міністра).
Using 'за словами' for inanimate sources like documents or laws.
За словами цього закону, податки зростуть.Згідно з цим законом, податки зростуть.The phrase 'за словами' literally means 'by the words of' and should be used for people or organizations of people, rather than inanimate objects or documents. For documents, laws, or data, use відповідно до or 'згідно з'.
Omitting the mandatory commas.
За словами лікаря операція пройшла успішно.За словами лікаря, операція пройшла успішно.In Ukrainian grammar, parenthetical source markers must be set off by commas to distinguish them from the main clause.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use this source marker, you need to understand how the genitive case attributes possession or origin (whose words they are) and be familiar with the plural instrumental form of the noun 'слово' (word).
- Genitive Possession
The pattern uses the genitive case to link the 'words' to the source (the person who said them).
Level 2 - Basic noun plural
The word 'словами' is the instrumental plural of 'слово', so understanding basic plural formation is necessary.
Level 1 - Instrumental Means
The construction 'за словами' uses the instrumental case form of 'слово', which is a prerequisite for recognizing the word ending.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- як зазначає + NominativeJournalistic Attribution with Як Зазначає
A synonymous journalistic attribution phrase, but it uses a verb and requires the Nominative case.
Level 5 - відповідно доConformity Preposition Відповідно До
Also means 'according to', but is used for laws, rules, or standards rather than spoken words.
Level 6 - мовляв (евіденційне)Reportive Мовляв
A particle used to indicate reported speech, often with a hint of skepticism or distancing.
Level 6 - що (з'ясувальне)Content Clauses with Що
Used to create indirect speech clauses (e.g., 'He said that...'), which is the less formal alternative to 'за словами'.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
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