# Adverbial Clauses

https://langs123.com/en/ukrainian/sentence/adverbial-clauses/
CEFR C1–C2 · 2026-10-19 · CC BY 4.0, langs123 contributors (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

> Subordinate clauses of place, manner, degree, time, cause and concession take conjunctions; the main clause has matching correlative words. The main clause's correlative word and the subordinate clause's connecting word point to the same thing: Ми пої́демо туди́, куди́ веде́ ця доро́га.

## Cheatsheet

| Point | Rule | Example | English |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Place: де, куди́, зві́дки | там, туди́, зві́дти in the main clause; де, куди́, зві́дки in the subordinate clause | Бібліоте́ка стої́ть там, де закі́нчується парк. | The library stands there, where the park ends. |
| Comparison | як / на́че / мов / ні́би: resemblance to an image | Рі́чка лежа́ла нерухо́мо, на́че хтось розли́в срібло́. | The river lay motionless, as if someone had spilled silver. |
| Degree | таки́й … що with a noun, так … що with a verb | Вона́ ма́є таки́й го́лос, що всі замовка́ють. | She has such a voice that everyone falls silent. |
| Result | так що: the result of everything the main clause says | Дощ ішо́в усю́ ніч, так що вра́нці рі́чка ви́йшла з берегі́в. | It rained all night, so by morning the river had burst its banks. |
| Concession | скі́льки … не: the action repeats, but the outcome stays the same | Скі́льки ми не проси́ли, він не відчини́в две́рі. | However much we asked, he did not open the door. |
| Time: тоді́, коли́ | тоді́ singles out a moment, коли́ specifies it | Вона́ усміха́ється тоді́, коли́ ду́має, що ніхто́ не ба́чить. | She smiles just when she thinks no one is watching. |
| Same manner | так, як: the manner is the same as the model's | Ми святку́ємо так, як святкува́ли на́ші діди́. | We celebrate the way our forefathers celebrated. |
| Cause | тому́ що — a neutral cause, оскі́льки — a known ground, адже́ — an obvious one | Оскі́льки за́л зама́лий, ми перено́симо за́хід до університе́ту. | Since the hall is too small, we are moving the event to the university. |
| Concession | хоч: the main clause holds the opposite action, often with проте́ | Надво́рі ще лежа́в сніг, хоч за календаре́м уже́ була́ весна́. | Snow still lay outside, although by the calendar it was already spring. |
| Comma | a comma before the conjunction; two commas around an inserted clause | Ми живемо́ там, де ті́хо. / За́хід, оскі́льки за́л зама́лий, перенесли́. | We live there, where it is quiet. / The event, since the hall is too small, was moved. |
| Trap | the connecting word repeats the direction of the correlative word | Ми пої́демо туди́, куди́ веде́ ця доро́га. | We will go there, where this road leads. |
| Trap | так як meaning “because” is a Russianism | Ми сиді́ли вдо́ма, тому́ що ішо́в дощ. | We stayed at home because it was raining. |

## Overview

- An adverbial clause names the place, manner, degree, time, cause or concession of the action in the main clause. Ми живемо́ там, де ті́хо. — We live there, where it is quiet.
- The conjunction or connecting word of a subordinate clause is answered by a correlative word in the main clause. Вона́ так втоми́лася, що не могла́ говори́ти. — She got so tired that she could not speak.

## Place: де, куди, звідки

| Subordinate clause | Example | English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| де: the place of the action; in the main clause, там | Бібліоте́ка стої́ть там, де закі́нчується парк. | The library stands there, where the park ends. |
| куди́: the direction of movement; in the main clause, туди́ | Ми пої́демо туди́, куди́ веде́ ця доро́га. | We will go there, where this road leads. |
| зві́дки: the starting point of movement; in the main clause, зві́дти | Він прині́с во́ду зві́дти, зві́дки її́ бра́ли діди́. | He brought water from there, from where the forefathers used to take it. |

## Manner and comparison: як, наче, мов, ніби

| Subordinate clause | Example | English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| як: a manner like a known model | Вона́ співа́є, як співа́ла її́ ма́ти. | She sings the way her mother used to sing. |
| на́че: resemblance to an imagined picture | Рі́чка лежа́ла нерухо́мо, на́че хтось розли́в срібло́. | The river lay motionless, as if someone had spilled silver. |
| мов: the same, in literary and poetic language | Дощ шумі́в, мов хтось сипа́в горо́х. | The rain rattled as if someone were scattering peas. |
| ні́би: as if, for what only seems so | Він мовча́в, ні́би нічо́го не чув. | He stayed silent, as if he had heard nothing. |
| так, як: the manner is the same as the model's | Ми святку́ємо так, як святкува́ли на́ші діди́. | We celebrate the way our forefathers celebrated. |

- A comma goes before на́че, мов and ні́би; they replace one another.

## Degree and result: такий… що, так що

| Subordinate clause | Example | English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| таки́й … що: the degree of a quality of a thing | Вона́ ма́є таки́й го́лос, що всі замовка́ють. | She has such a voice that everyone falls silent. |
| так … що: the degree of an action | Він так втоми́вся, що не міг говори́ти. | He got so tired that he could not speak. |
| так що: the result of everything the main clause says | Дощ ішо́в усю́ ніч, так що вра́нці рі́чка ви́йшла з берегі́в. | It rained all night, so by morning the river had burst its banks. |

- Таки́й changes by gender, number and case, but так does not change. таки́й го́лос / така́ ти́ша / таке́ мо́ре / такі́ ді́ти — such a voice / such a silence / such a sea / such children
- A comma goes before що in the pair таки́й … що and before так in the conjunction так що.

## Concession: скільки… не, хоч

| Subordinate clause | Example | English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| скі́льки … не: the action repeats, but the outcome stays the same | Скі́льки ми не проси́ли, він не відчини́в две́рі. | However much we asked, he did not open the door. |
| куди́ … не, як … не: the same with another question word | Куди́ ти не гля́нь, усю́ди го́ри. / Як ти не стара́йся, усі́х не поті́шиш. | Wherever you look, there are mountains everywhere. / However hard you try, you cannot please everyone. |
| хоч: the main clause holds the opposite action | Надво́рі ще лежа́в сніг, хоч за календаре́м уже́ була́ весна́. | Snow still lay outside, although by the calendar it was already spring. |

- The particle не in these constructions does not negate the action: it really happened.
- Проте́, одна́к and все ж in the main clause strengthen the contrast. Хоч ді́ти втоми́лися, проте́ йти додо́му не хоті́ли. — Although the children were tired, they still did not want to go home.

## Time: тоді, коли

| Subordinate clause | Example | English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| тоді́ … коли́: a singled-out moment | Вона́ усміха́ється тоді́, коли́ ду́має, що ніхто́ не ба́чить. | She smiles just when she thinks no one is watching. |

- Without тоді́ the subordinate clause only names the time: When and If: коли, якщо, якби.

## Cause: тому що, оскільки, адже

| Subordinate clause | Example | English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| тому́ що: a neutral cause | Збо́ри перенесли́, тому́ що не було́ кво́руму. | The meeting was postponed because there was no quorum. |
| оскі́льки: a cause as a known ground; the subordinate clause usually comes first | Оскі́льки за́л зама́лий, ми перено́симо за́хід до університе́ту. | Since the hall is too small, we are moving the event to the university. |
| адже́: a cause the listener knows and must accept; the subordinate clause usually comes second | Не хвилю́йся, адже́ усе́ вже підгото́влено. | Don't worry, after all, everything is already prepared. |

- Business and academic language prefers тому́ що and оскі́льки; бо sounds more conversational.
- Cause in simple sentences: Conjunctions.

## Position of the subordinate clause and the comma

| Rule | Example | English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| subordinate clause after the main clause: a comma before the conjunction | Ми пої́демо туди́, куди́ веде́ ця доро́га. | We will go there, where this road leads. |
| subordinate clause before the main clause: a comma after it | Оскі́льки пого́да по́гана, ми залиша́ємося вдо́ма. | Since the weather is bad, we are staying at home. |
| subordinate clause inside the main clause: two commas | За́хід, оскі́льки за́л зама́лий, перенесли́ до університе́ту. | The event, since the hall is too small, was moved to the university. |
| the correlative word may be omitted: the comma stays before the connecting word | Ми піде́мо, куди́ веде́ стежка́. | We will go where the path leads. |

## Typical errors

| ✗ | ✓ | Rule |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ми пої́демо туди́, де веде́ ця доро́га. | Ми пої́демо туди́, куди́ веде́ ця доро́га. | the connecting word repeats the direction of the correlative word: туди́ — куди́ |
| Вона́ ма́є таки́й го́лос що всі замовка́ють. | Вона́ ма́є таки́й го́лос, що всі замовка́ють. | a comma goes before що in the pair таки́й … що |
| Ми сиді́ли вдо́ма, так як ішо́в дощ. | Ми сиді́ли вдо́ма, тому́ що ішо́в дощ. | так як is a calque of the Russian “так как”; a cause is expressed by тому́ що, оскі́льки, адже́ |