Opinions: vvazhaiu, na moyu dumku, maiesh ratsiiu
Opinions come in four openers, and they are not interchangeable in tone. For example: “Я вважаю, що варто зачекати” — I think we should wait. A rule from the Ukrainian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Opinions come in four openers, and they are not interchangeable in tone.
Ia vvazhaiu is neutral and firm — I reckon, I hold that. Mind the neighbor: vvazhaty counts in the opinion sense; counting numbers is rakhuvaty. Mixing them is a real mistake.
Na moyu dumku and po-moiemu are softer and open the sentence: in my view, the way I see it. Dumka covers both thought and opinion. Meni zdaietsia is the most cautious — it seems to me — leaving the speaker a way out.
Agreement is where English and Ukrainian part ways: rightness is something you HAVE. Ty maiesh ratsiiu, vin mav ratsiiu — you hold rightness. The word pravyi means only right-hand. Soften a disagreement: chastkovo zhoden partly agree, tse spirno that is debatable, ia maiu inshu dumku.
Table
| opener | the tone | in English |
|---|---|---|
| ia vvazhaiu | firm | I reckon |
| na moyu dumku | neutral | in my view |
| meni zdaietsia | hedging | it seems to me |
| maiesh ratsiiu | agreeing | you are right |
By example
- Я вважаю, що варто зачекатиI think we should wait
- Ти маєш рацію, я помилявсяYou are right, I was wrong
- Мені здається, це не найкращий варіантIt seems to me this is not the best option
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
How to say in my opinion in Ukrainian: na moyu dumku?
Opinions come in four openers, and they are not interchangeable in tone.
What does it look like in an example sentence Ukrainian?
“Я вважаю, що варто зачекати” — I think we should wait. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.