In short

A personal pronoun (я = I, ти = you, він = he, вона́ = she) is not a frozen word. Like a Ukrainian noun, it changes shape depending on its job in the sentence: “I” is я as the subject, but мене́ as an object and мені́ as a recipient. This change is called declension (відмінювання), and it runs through the six cases a pronoun has. You already met the subject form in the nominative lesson; here you get the whole set in one place so that, as each new case arrives in later lessons, you can recognise the pronoun instantly. Focus first on я / ти / він / вона́ — they are the ones you will say every day.

The rule

• Ukrainian has seven cases, and a personal pronoun uses six of them — only the vocative (lesson 10) has no pronoun form. It has a distinct form in most of them, so one pronoun can look like several different words. The subject form (nominative) is the “dictionary” form you have already learned: я, ти, він, вона́, воно́, ми, ви, вони́.
• Which form you pick depends on the pronoun’s role, not its meaning:
  • subject of the sentence -> nominative (я чита́ю — I read);
  • direct object of a verb -> accusative (ти зна́єш мене́ — you know me);
  • recipient “to me / to you” -> dative (дай мені́ — give to me);
  • “of / from” and after many prepositions -> genitive (для ме́не — for me);
  • “with / by” -> instrumental (зі мно́ю — with me);
  • “on / about / in” -> locative, which is always used with a preposition (на мені́ — on me).
• The н- rule (third person). The he/she/it/they forms (він, вона́, воно́, вони́) add an initial н- after a preposition: його́ -> у ньо́го, її́ -> до не́ї, їх -> на них. Bare його́ / її́ / їх are used only without a preposition.
• Register. ти addresses one person you are close to; ви is polite to one person and the only form for a group. Both decline the same way as any other pronoun (вас, вам, ва́ми).

Forms & patterns

Singular pronouns (parenthesised forms are the н- variants used after a preposition):

Plural pronouns:

Note the stress shifts: мене́ / тебе́ carry final stress on their own, but a short preposition pulls the stress forward — у ме́не, до те́бе, для се́бе. In the third person the н- form is likewise first-stressed: ньо́го, не́ї, ньо́му.

Examples

Common mistakes

• для його́ -> для ньо́го — after a preposition the third person needs the initial н-.
• до її́ -> до не́ї — same н- rule; bare її́ only stands without a preposition.
• з їм -> з ним — the instrumental he/it form is ним (with н-), never їм (that is dative).
• я люблю́ ти -> я люблю́ тебе́ — a direct object takes the accusative, not the nominative ти.
• дай ме́не кни́гу -> дай мені́ кни́гу — the recipient “to me” is dative мені́, not мене́.
• вона́ ду́має про я -> вона́ ду́має про ме́не — after a preposition you must use a case form, never the bare я.
• з мно́ю -> зі мно́ю — before the cluster мн- the preposition з becomes зі (euphony).

Tips

• Learn the nominative row first (я, ти, він, вона́) — you already know it — then treat every other form as the same pronoun simply “wearing” a case ending.
• Anchor two pairs early: object мене́ / тебе́ versus recipient мені́ / тобі́. Mixing them up is the single most common A1 slip.
• Whenever a preposition sits in front of він / вона́ / воно́ / вони́, reach for the н- form: у ньо́го, до не́ї, з ни́ми, на них.
• After a short preposition the stress jumps to the front of the pronoun: у ме́не, до те́бе. Say the whole phrase as one unit and the stress will fall naturally.
• ти and ви decline identically to the rest — practise the polite chain ви / вас / вам / ва́ми so you can be formal without hesitating.
• його́ and її́ double as possessives (“his”, “her”) — the word does not change, so let the context tell you whether it means “him/her” or “his/her”.