Verb-Preposition Collocations in Ukrainian

Overview

Many Ukrainian verbs require specific prepositions followed by specific cases to complete their meaning. At the CEFR B2 level, learning these fixed verb + preposition + case combinations is essential because they often differ from English preposition usage and cannot be predicted from the verb's meaning alone.

These collocations are among the hardest aspects of Ukrainian to master because each verb has its own preposition requirement, and using the wrong preposition or case produces an unnatural or incomprehensible result. They must be learned as fixed units.

How It Works

Common Verb-Preposition Collocations

Verb	Preposition + Case	Meaning	Example
думати	про + acc	think about	Думаю про тебе.
чекати	на + acc	wait for	Чекаю на тебе.
залежати	від + gen	depend on	Залежить від погоди.
дивитися	на + acc	look at	Дивлюся на море.
сміятися	з + gen	laugh at	Сміються з нього.
мріяти	про + acc	dream about	Мрію про відпустку.
питати	про + acc	ask about	Питає про здоров'я.
дякувати	за + acc	thank for	Дякую за допомогу.
цікавитися	+ inst	be interested in	Цікавлюся мистецтвом.
користуватися	+ inst	use, make use of	Користуюся словником.

Verbs with Different Prepositions Changing Meaning

Verb + Prep	Meaning
говорити про + acc	talk about
говорити з + inst	talk with
говорити до + gen	speak to

Examples in Context

Ukrainian	English	Note
Думаю про тебе.	I'm thinking about you.	про + acc
Чекаю на тебе.	I'm waiting for you.	на + acc
Це залежить від погоди.	It depends on the weather.	від + gen
Чекаємо на канікули.	We're looking forward to vacation.	на + acc
Вона сміється з мене.	She's laughing at me.	з + gen
Дякую за все.	Thank you for everything.	за + acc
Цікавлюся історією.	I'm interested in history.	bare inst
Мрію про подорож.	I dream about a trip.	про + acc
Радиться з батьками.	Consults with parents.	з + inst
Звертаюся до вас.	I'm addressing you.	до + gen

Common Mistakes

Using English preposition equivalents

• Wrong: Думаю об тебе. (about → об)
• Right: Думаю про тебе.
• Why: Ukrainian uses про + accusative for "think about," not об.

Wrong case after correct preposition

• Wrong: Чекаю на тобі. (locative after на)
• Right: Чекаю на тебе. (accusative after на with чекати)
• Why: Each verb-preposition combination requires a specific case.

Omitting required preposition

• Wrong: Дивлюся море. (no preposition)
• Right: Дивлюся на море.
• Why: Дивитися requires на + accusative for its object.

Usage Notes

Verb-preposition collocations are best learned as complete units: "чекати на + acc," not just "чекати." Creating a personal dictionary of these collocations with example sentences is one of the most effective study strategies at B2.

Some verbs take a bare instrumental without a preposition: цікавитися мистецтвом (be interested in art), користуватися словником (use a dictionary), займатися спортом (do sports).

Practice Tips

1. Collocation cards: Create flashcards with verb + preposition + case as a unit, with an example sentence.
2. Translation traps: Identify collocations where Ukrainian and English prepositions differ and drill those specifically.
3. Same verb, different prepositions: Practice verbs that change meaning with different prepositions.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Reflexive Verbs -- many collocation verbs are reflexive