Practice

Reading (B1): The city of Lev

A B1 Ukrainian reading text about Lviv, told by a student: Prince Danylo and his son Lev, the High Castle and the hidden river Poltva, Rynok Square, churches of many traditions and the opera. With comprehension questions and grammar from the text: numbers with метр, years, and object-first word order.

Read first:

What you will practise

Read a B1 text about the history and buildings of Lviv, answer questions about it, and practise grammar taken from it: ме́трів after a number, з … до … ро́ку, під + instrumental and object-first word order.

Intermediate (B1) · 10 questions · multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching and word order

Read the text first. The questions below are about it, and you can scroll back to it at any time. Check each answer, read the explanation, and continue. Hints and “Show answer” are there when you need them. Stress marks are optional when you type.

The text

Read by a computer-generated voice (OpenAI text-to-speech), not individually checked by a listener. It is not a recording of a native speaker, and a computer voice can occasionally stress or pronounce a word wrongly: the text, with its stress marks, is the reference.

Місто Лева

Мене́ зва́ти Іри́на. Я з Полта́ви, але́ навча́юся у Льво́ві, в університе́ті і́мені Іва́на Франка́. Львів — найбі́льше мі́сто на за́ході Украї́ни, і я ду́же його́ люблю́.

Мі́сто заснува́в князь Дани́ло в середи́ні трина́дцятого столі́ття. Він назва́в його́ на честь свого́ си́на Ле́ва. Лев — це ім’я́, а ще це на́зва зві́ра. Пе́рша зга́дка про Львів у літо́писі — 1256 рік.

Старе́ мі́сто лежи́ть під горо́ю, яка́ назива́ється Висо́кий За́мок. Висота́ гори́ — 413 ме́трів. Під це́нтром тече́ рі́чка По́лтва, але́ її́ не ви́дно: з 1841 ро́ку вона́ тече́ під земле́ю. Коли́сь тут перетина́лися торго́ві шляхи́: від Балті́йського мо́ря до Чо́рного і від Кра́кова до Ки́єва. Тому́ мі́сто росло́.

Се́рце старо́го мі́ста — пло́ща Ри́нок. Посере́дині пло́щі стої́ть ра́туша, а навко́ло не́ї — чоти́ри фонта́ни. Ра́тушу і фонта́ни збудува́ли з 1827 до 1835 ро́ку. На пло́щі стоя́ть старі́ кам’яни́ці, напри́клад Чо́рна кам’яни́ця. Зі стари́х міськи́х веж зберегла́ся ті́льки одна́ — Порохова́ ве́жа.

У Льво́ві бага́то церко́в рі́зних тради́цій: Лати́нський собо́р, Вірме́нський собо́р, Успе́нська це́рква. А на окре́мому па́горбі стої́ть собо́р свято́го Юра́. Його́ збудува́ли в сти́лі рококо́ з 1744 до 1759 ро́ку.

Львів — мі́сто книжо́к, університе́тів і теа́тру. Істо́рія університе́ту почала́ся в 1661 ро́ці. З 1997 ро́ку тут прохо́дить Міжнаро́дний фестива́ль літерату́ри. Уве́чері я люблю́ ходи́ти в о́перу. О́перний теа́тр збудува́ли з 1897 до 1900 ро́ку, а з 2000 ро́ку він но́сить ім’я́ співа́чки Соломі́ї Крушельни́цької. А стари́й центр Льво́ва з 1998 ро́ку є в Спи́ску світово́ї спа́дщини.

Words to know
навча́юся
I study (at a university)
заснува́в
founded
на честь (+ genitive)
in honour of, named after
зга́дка
mention
літо́пис
chronicle
Висо́кий За́мок
the High Castle, a hill above the old town
під земле́ю
underground
перетина́лися торго́ві шляхи́
trade routes crossed
посере́дині
in the middle
ра́туша
town hall
кам’яни́ця
an old stone town house
зберегла́ся
has survived, has been preserved
па́горб
hill
собо́р
cathedral
но́сить ім’я́
carries the name, is named after
Спи́сок світово́ї спа́дщини
the World Heritage List
Grammar in this text

Numbers: four fountains, 413 metres

Only the last word of a number counts. After 2, 3 and 4 the noun is in the nominative plural: чоти́ри фонта́ни. After 5 and above, and after 11 to 14, it is in the genitive plural: 413 (чоти́риста трина́дцять) ме́трів.

  • Посере́дині пло́щі стої́ть ра́туша, а навко́ло не́ї — чоти́ри фонта́ни. In the middle of the square stands the town hall, and around it are four fountains.
  • Висота́ гори́ — 413 ме́трів. The hill is 413 metres high.

Read more: Numbers

Years: з, до and в

After з (since, from) and до (until, to), рік is in the genitive: з 1841 ро́ку, з 1827 до 1835 ро́ку. To say in a year, use в or у with the locative: в 1661 ро́ці.

  • …з 1841 ро́ку вона́ тече́ під земле́ю. …since 1841 it has flowed underground.
  • Ра́тушу і фонта́ни збудува́ли з 1827 до 1835 ро́ку. The town hall and the fountains were built between 1827 and 1835.
  • Істо́рія університе́ту почала́ся в 1661 ро́ці. The history of the university began in 1661.

Read more: Ordinal numbers, dates and the time

The object first

Ukrainian word order is flexible, because the endings show who does what. A sentence can start with the object, which is what it is about, and put the subject last: мі́сто (object) заснува́в князь Дани́ло (subject). With a they-form and no subject, the object first often reads like an English passive: the town hall was built.

  • Мі́сто заснува́в князь Дани́ло в середи́ні трина́дцятого столі́ття. The city was founded by Prince Danylo in the middle of the thirteenth century.
  • Ра́тушу і фонта́ни збудува́ли з 1827 до 1835 ро́ку. The town hall and the fountains were built between 1827 and 1835.

Read more: Sentence structure

Під: below and under

Під meaning below, under (a place) takes the instrumental: під горо́ю, під це́нтром, під земле́ю.

  • Старе́ мі́сто лежи́ть під горо́ю, яка́ назива́ється Висо́кий За́мок. The old town lies below a hill called the High Castle.
  • Під це́нтром тече́ рі́чка По́лтва… The river Poltva flows under the centre…

Read more: The instrumental case

Of: the genitive

A noun that says of what or whose follows in the genitive, together with its adjective: се́рце старо́го мі́ста, ім’я́ співа́чки. Посере́дині (in the middle of) takes the genitive too.

  • Се́рце старо́го мі́ста — пло́ща Ри́нок. The heart of the old town is Rynok Square.
  • Посере́дині пло́щі стої́ть ра́туша… In the middle of the square stands the town hall…
  • …він но́сить ім’я́ співа́чки Соломі́ї Крушельни́цької. …it has carried the name of the singer Solomiia Krushelnytska.

Read more: The genitive case

English translation

My name is Iryna. I am from Poltava, but I study in Lviv, at the Ivan Franko University. Lviv is the largest city in the west of Ukraine, and I love it very much.

The city was founded by Prince Danylo in the middle of the thirteenth century. He named it after his son Lev. Lev is a name, and it is also the word for an animal: a lion. The first mention of Lviv in a chronicle is from 1256.

The old town lies below a hill called the High Castle. The hill is 413 metres high. The river Poltva flows under the centre, but you can't see it: since 1841 it has flowed underground. Long ago, trade routes crossed here: from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, and from Kraków to Kyiv. That is why the city grew.

The heart of the old town is Rynok Square. In the middle of the square stands the town hall, and around it are four fountains. The town hall and the fountains were built between 1827 and 1835. Old stone town houses stand on the square, for example the Black House. Of the old city towers, only one has survived: the Gunpowder Tower.

Lviv has many churches of different traditions: the Latin Cathedral, the Armenian Cathedral, the Dormition Church. And on a hill of its own stands St George's Cathedral. It was built in the rococo style, from 1744 to 1759.

Lviv is a city of books, universities and theatre. The history of the university began in 1661. Since 1997 an international literature festival has been held here. In the evening I like going to the opera. The opera house was built from 1897 to 1900, and since 2000 it has carried the name of the singer Solomiia Krushelnytska. And since 1998 the old centre of Lviv has been on the World Heritage List.

Question 1 of 10

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About the topic

Culture

Lviv: a city profile

Why Lviv matters. A city of many rulers and many communities, with a historic centre on the UNESCO World Heritage List, churches of several traditions, and a long history of books and learning.

Grammar

The past tense

How to form the Ukrainian past tense from the infinitive, why it agrees in gender and number instead of person, and where the stress falls.

Grammar

Numbers

The cardinal numbers, the form of the noun after 1, after 2 to 4 and after 5 and above, the case forms of один, два, три, чотири and п’ять, and numbers in prices and ages.

Grammar

Ordinal numbers, dates and the time

Ordinal numbers and how they agree, dates with the month in the genitive, years, and telling the time in full, with о котрій, пів на, чверть на and за п’ять.

Grammar

The instrumental case

Instrumental endings in the singular and plural, including ніччю and сіллю, and its uses for tools and transport, with з, after бути, стати and працювати, for time and the way you go, and after під, над, за, перед and між.

Grammar

The genitive case

The genitive singular and plural endings, how masculine nouns choose between -а and -у, and the main uses of the genitive, from "of" and quantities to нема́є and the prepositions без, для, до, з, від, біля, після and у.

Grammar

Sentence structure

How a basic Ukrainian sentence is built, why word order can change, and what English words Ukrainian leaves out.

Sources

The Ukrainian in this set was checked against these references and the site's lessons. It has not been reviewed by a native speaker or teacher.

  • Lviv (A. Figol, V. Kubijovyč, A. Zhukovsky (updated 2016), Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine (Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies))

    In English. Used for: the reading texts “The city of Lev” and “Ukraine on the map”: the largest city of the western oblasts and historic capital of Galicia; founded by Prince Danylo in the mid-13th century and named after his son Lev, first mentioned under 1256; the castle hill (413 m); the Poltva covered since 1841; the trade routes; the town hall and its four fountains (1827–35); the Black House; the Gunpowder Tower; the Latin and Armenian cathedrals and the Dormition Church.. Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • Saint George's Cathedral (Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine (Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies))

    In English. Used for: the reading text “The city of Lev”: St George’s Cathedral, a rococo church built in 1744–59.. Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • Lviv National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet (Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine (Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies))

    In English. Used for: the reading text “The city of Lev”: the opera house built in 1897–1900, named after Solomiia Krushelnytska since 2000.. Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • L'viv – the Ensemble of the Historic Centre (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)

    In English. Used for: the reading text “The city of Lev”: the historic centre on the World Heritage List since 1998; St George’s Hill as a separate area.. Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • Lviv, UNESCO Creative City of Literature (UNESCO Creative Cities Network)

    In English. Used for: the reading text “The city of Lev”: the Lviv International Festival of Literature, held since 1997 (as the city’s profile says).. Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • History of the university (Ivan Franko National University of Lviv)

    In English. Used for: the reading text “The city of Lev”: the university traces its origins to 1661.. Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • Горох — онлайн-бібліотека словників української мови: Словозміна, Тлумачення (goroh.pp.ua)

    In Ukrainian. Used for: stress, gender, plurals, aspect and full word forms for the examples, tables and vocabulary lists on every page; the dictionary definitions (СУМ) used for the meanings of ти and ви, the case each preposition takes, and words such as чи, ні and нема́є.. Accessed 29 October 2026.