Distribution

By 'distribution' we mean the construction which conveys 'one coat each', 'five apples each', and so on. The core of this construction is the preposition no plus the quantifier phrase conveying what each has. Where the quantity 'each' has is more than one, the quantifier phrase is expressed in the accusa­tive (perhaps it is simpler to say 'nominative', since, were one to have 'two slaves each', the nominative would be used, i.e. there is no reflection of ani-macy, something which is hardly surprising given the meaning); where the quantity 'each' has is 'one', the quantifier phrase is expressed in the dative case. The possessor will be expressed as appropriate, with кожен 'each' not at all superfluous. Here are two examples:

У кожній кімнаті по чотири стільці.

There are four chairs in each room.

У всіх восьми сестер по одному братові.

All eight sisters have one brother each.

The ordinals

The ordinals are straightforward, agreeing in case, gender, and number with the noun phrase which they qualify. They differ from adjectives only in the obvious way of not being able to be piled up in qualification of a single noun phrase, i.e. as one cannot say 'the seventh eleventh white house'. Where a compound ordinal is concerned, such as 'the 127th book', then in Ukrainian only the final component will take the ordinal form and agree as necessary; the preceding components will take the cardinal form and be indeclinable, for example:

сто двадцять сьома книжка the 127th book

сорок перший будинок the 41st house

Time expressions

Ordinal numerals are used in the expression of time and 'time when', includ­ing the time of day and expressions of the year and 'year when'.

Years

As in all other large ordinal numerals, only the last element is an ordinal and it is the only one to change its form. 'The Year X' is a nominative construc­tion, while 'in the Year X' is a locative construction:

тисяча дев'ятсот дев'яносто дев'ятий рік the year 1999

У тисяча вісімсот п'ятдесят шостому році in 1856

Hours (time of day)

Котра година? What time is it? (lit. 'Which hour?')

Восьма (It's) eight (o'clock).

Дванадцята twelve

Третя three

Fractions of the hour are expressed by means of a number of constructions, most of which involve the use of prepositions: на + ace., пo + loc., за + acс., до + gen. Compare:

Десять/чверть на шосту. (It's) ten/quarter past five.

Десять/чверть по п'ятій.

п'ята десять, п'ята п'ятнадцять Five ten, five fifteen

пів на десяту half past nine (lit. 'half towards the

пів до десятої tenth hour')

за десять п'ята ten to five

за хвилину п'ята a minute to five

'Time when' constructions can be identical to the above when fractions of the hour are involved, thus:

за десять п'ята at ten to five

пів на десяту at half past nine

десять/чверть на шосту at ten/a quarter past five

The preposition о + loc. is used with the hour alone (об only with eleven):

о котрій (годині)? at what time? when?

о шостій at six

о третій at three

об одинадцятій at eleven

Optionally with пів 'half, and when the hour precedes the fraction:

(о) пів на сьому at half past six

о дев'ятій двадцять at nine twenty