Signification
Engaging in a board game of strategy.
Contexte culturel
Chess is considered a 'national sport' in Ukraine. It is common to see chess problems published in daily newspapers alongside crosswords. The 'Chess Corner' in Shevchenko Park is legendary. Even in snow, players gather to play 'blitz' games for small stakes or just for honor. Lviv is the 'Grandmaster Factory'. The city has a unique atmosphere where chess is integrated into cafe culture, similar to Vienna or Budapest. The 'Soviet School of Chess' emphasized rigorous study and discipline. This legacy means that playing chess is often seen as a sign of high education.
Preposition Flow
If the previous word ends in a consonant, use 'у' instead of 'в' for better flow: 'Він грав у шахи'.
Checkers vs Chess
Double-check before you speak! 'Шашки' is checkers, 'Шахи' is chess. Confusing them might hurt a serious player's pride!
Signification
Engaging in a board game of strategy.
Preposition Flow
If the previous word ends in a consonant, use 'у' instead of 'в' for better flow: 'Він грав у шахи'.
Checkers vs Chess
Double-check before you speak! 'Шашки' is checkers, 'Шахи' is chess. Confusing them might hurt a serious player's pride!
Metaphorical Use
Use 'грати в шахи' when discussing strategy in business to sound more like a native speaker.
Park Etiquette
If you play in a park, expect people to watch and comment. It's part of the fun!
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing preposition and noun form.
Мій дідусь любить грати ___ _______.
The correct preposition is 'в' and the noun must be plural 'шахи'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Select the correct invitation:
'Зіграємо' is the perfective future (let's play a game), and 'в шахи' is the correct prepositional phrase.
Match the Ukrainian phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
These are common collocations involving the word chess.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form.
Олена: Ти хочеш піти в кіно? Ігор: Ні, я краще буду ______ з другом.
After 'буду' (future imperfective), we use the infinitive 'грати'.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Chess vs Checkers
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesМій дідусь любить грати ___ _______.
The correct preposition is 'в' and the noun must be plural 'шахи'.
Select the correct invitation:
'Зіграємо' is the perfective future (let's play a game), and 'в шахи' is the correct prepositional phrase.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are common collocations involving the word chess.
Олена: Ти хочеш піти в кіно? Ігор: Ні, я краще буду ______ з другом.
After 'буду' (future imperfective), we use the infinitive 'грати'.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsYes, it is a plurale tantum. Even if you are talking about the game in general, it is always 'шахи'.
No, it sounds unnatural. You must include the preposition 'в'.
'Грати' is for the habit or process; 'зіграти' is for a single, finished game.
Extremely. Ukraine is one of the top chess-playing nations in the world.
It is 'шахівниця'.
It is 'мат'. You say 'поставити мат'.
Yes, just add 'онлайн' or 'в інтернеті'.
It is neutral and can be used in any context.
You can say 'Я початківець у шахах'.
They are called 'шахові фігури'.
No, it is a common noun and is not capitalized unless it's at the start of a sentence.
Yes, 'шпилити' or 'рубатися', but these are very informal.
Expressions liées
Зробити хід
builds onTo make a move
Поставити мат
builds onTo checkmate
Шахова дошка
similarChessboard
Грати в шашки
contrastTo play checkers
Гросмейстер
specialized formGrandmaster
Рокіровка
specialized formCastling
