Inclusive ('Let's') commands

The 1pl. imperative, or inclusive, is the form used when asking one or more individuals to do something together, as a group. For imperfective verbs the forms Давайте/Даваймо 'Let's' may be used in conjunction with the infinitive:

Давайте (-мо) грати в карти! Let's play cards!

Давайте (-мо) йти до театру! Let's go to the theatre!

But for both imperfective and perfective verbs the 1pl. imperative form may be used alone, although this is more common for perfective verbs than for imperfectives:

Прочитаймо газету Let's read the newspaper!

Забудьмо цю дурість Let's forget this silliness!

(С)питаймо його! Let's ask him!

The use of давайте with perfectives is found, but less frequently; note the following example:

Давайте, хлопці, провчимо вражого пана ...

Come on, boys, let's teach the hostile/inimical lord . . . (H-JI)

Here давайте functions not, strictly speaking, as part of the compound 1pl. imperative, but as a general exhortation.

The corresponding negative consists of не будьмо + imperfective verb or не + 1pI. perfective imperative:

He будьмо сперечатися! Let's not quarrel!

He забудьмо послати листа! Let's not forget to post the letter!

Third-person commands

A third person (he, she, they) may be asked to do something via someone else; i.e. 'Have' or 'Let him do this'. The key element is Нехай or Хай 'Have'/'let', commonly in conjunction with the 3sg. or 3pl. perfective verb, as the action has not begun yet and future time is implied; if the action is clearly of a general nature (for example, with no direct object), the imperfective will be used:

Нехай Олекса прочитає відповідь. Have Oleksa read the answer.

Нехай Олекса читає. Let Oleksa read.

A corresponding negative 'Do not have/let X do Y' does not involve хай/ нехай; instead we would find a circumlocution of the kind 'Do not let/allow X to do Y':

не дозволяй йому це (з)робйти. Don't allow him to do this.

The conditional

'Conditional' constructions may be termed either 'real' or 'unreal'. 'Real' conditions involve 'if-then' propositions, where one situation follows from the first. Thus:

Якщо піде, (то) не підемо на пікнік. If it rains, (then) we won't go to the picnic.

'Unreal' conditions will involve the 'conditional' mood (subjunctive in many languages), in which the propositions are hypothetical or express a desire or wish - which may or may not be fulfilled. The Ukrainian construction is very simple, involving the particle би, б + past tense form of the verb; it is import­ant to note here that the verb itself is not necessarily expressing true past tense: the form is simply required (for historical reasons) with the particle. As a rule, би will follow a word ending in a consonant, while б follows a vowel:

Я хотів би піти додому. І would like to go home.

Я хотіла б піти додому. (masc. and fern., respectively)

As many conditional constructions begin with 'if, it is important to note that it is not якщо that is used, but the clearly conditional якби, коли б; the first clause will begin with якби, but the following clause must contain би/б as well, as if to emphasize the conditional nature of the whole (paralleling English 'could/would' in the first example):

Якби він міг, то прийшов би. If he could, (then) he would come.

Якби пішов дощ, то ми могли б If it were to rain (start raining), залишитися вдома. (then) we could stay at home.

Якби не було війни, усі ще жили б If there hadn't been a war, (then)

у своїх старих містечках. everyone would still be living in their old little towns.

Якби ти не знайшов цю книжку, то If you hadn't found this book, you

не міг би готуватися до уроку. couldn't have prepared for the lesson.