18.5 - Demonstrative pronouns
As their name suggests, these indicate or point to someone, something, a quality or quantity.
Цей, той
These have adjectival forms, which were presented on page 17.4. They can be emphasised by adding о- (an abbreviation of the indicatory particle от), to give оцей, отой.
Той is also useful if one wishes to emphasise the definite nature of a noun (as there are no articles in Ukrainian, this has to be done by other means):
| Друг – це та людина, яка завжди тобі допоможе. | A friend is the person who will always help you. |
For comparison, the indefinite nature of a noun can be highlighted by the use of один or якийсь (for the latter see page 18.7):
| Я бачила одну (якусь) жінку... | I saw a woman ... |
Той can also replace він, as shown in the Ukrainian version of the name "You know who", the villain of the Harry Potter books:
| Той, кого не можна називати | He who may not be named |
Такий
This is adjectival in form and function, and was dealt with on page 17.4. All the above pronouns can combine with others to create further phrases:
| цей самий | this same one, the same |
| той самий | that same one, the same |
| такий самий | the same as, like |
| хто (це) такий | who is it (this) |
| що (це) таке | what is it (this) |
| такий-сякий | so-and-so (derogatory) |
Стільки
This denotes "so much", "so many", and is declined like a noun:
| Nom. | стільки |
| Gen. | стількох |
| Dat. | стільком |
| Acc. | стільки/стількох |
| Instr. | стількома |
| Loc. | стількох |
As might be expected from a pronoun which denotes quantity, стільки is followed by the genitive, the singular for mass nouns and plural for count nouns:
| Україні потрібно стільки електроенергії... | Ukraine needs so much electricity ... |
With the negative particle не, the pronoun стільки can be used in the construction не стільки ... як and не стільки ... скільки:
| Мова йде не стільки про матеріальний бік, як про якість освіти. | The issue is not so much the money side as the quality of education. |
| На виборах українці не стільки обиратимуть, скільки каратимуть політиків. | At the elections Ukrainians won't be electing so much as punishing the politicians. |
Note the use of стільки in a well-known proverb:
| Не стільки світу, що у вікні. | There is more to the world than what you see through the window. |