3. Using adjectives

GENERAL

Regarding position relative to the qualified noun or noun phrase, the attribu­tive adjective as a rule precedes, although it may follow when emphatic or for stylistic reasons.

Adjectives are more often than not 'used' - they say something about other words, typically nouns, which themselves may be independent or dependent, say, when a noun is in a case determined by a governing verb or preposition, thus:

стара хата an old house

у старій хаті in the old house

Вона вийшла сухою з води. She got off scot-free.

Він визнав себе винним. Не admitted his guilt (lit. 'confessed himself guilty').

молодий/молода сирота a young orphan (Note that with epicenes

(common-gender nouns) the adjective takes the gender of whom the

noun refers to.)

So adjectives are mostly subordinate to other words and constructions. In this respect one might note that there are, too, adjectives which function as nouns, for example:

лісничий forester Рівне Rivne (city) минуле the past

майбутнє the future хворий a sick person молодий a young person,

groom

The last two exemplify the universal potentiality of semantically appropriate adjectives to refer to a person, man, or woman, or people without the actual use of the noun proper.

Adjectives constructed with cases and prepositional phrases

How do we translate situations equivalent to English 'capable of, 'ready for', and similar expressions? Here we can see the adjective as controlling the construction. Here are a few such constructions - note that the translations are necessarily occasionally approximate, since much will depend on context:

Adjective + genitive

вартий worthy of He варте нюху табаки. It's not worth a fig

гідний worthy of Він не гідний поваги. He's not deserving of respect.

певний certain of Вона зовсім не певна цього. She's not at all certain of it.

повний full of Філіжанка повна води. The cup is full of water. свідомий aware/informed of Він нічого не свідомий. Не doesn't know a thing.

Adjective + dative

близький near to близький серцю near to one's heart

вдячний grateful to вдячний батькові (за гроші) grateful to father (for the money)

винен guilty, at fault Він сам тому винен. Не himself is to blame for that.

винен owe Я винен тобі гроші/життя. І owe you money/my life, (but Я завдячую тобі життям. І owe you my life.)

відомий known/famous to відомий людям known to people

ворожий hostile to ворожий народові hostile to the people

дорогий dear to дорогий матері dear to mother

потрібний necessary to потрібний людям needed by people

протилежний opposite to протилежний поглядам opposite/contrary to (my) views

рад glad of Вона була дуже рада нам. She was really pleased to see us/gave us a good reception.

рівний equal to Вона не мас собі рівної. She doesn't have her equal.

шкідливий harmful to шкідливий лісові detrimental to the forest

Adjective + accusative

винен owe Я винен йому багато грошей. І owe him a lot of money. (Note (above) the dative for the person to whom something is owed.)

Adjective + instrumental

важливий significant in важливий висновками significant as regards

the conclusions that can be drawn

відомий known for відомий успіхами known for her success

сильний strong in сильний духом strong in spirit