Is "у мене є" equivalent to "я маю"?

Question

This question also has an answer here (in Ukrainian):
У мене (є) vs я маю в певному місці/в певний час

Both seem to mean "I have". The only difference seems to be that with "у мене є" the possession is nominative and with "я маю" the possession is accusative. Are there any implications of using one over the other? Would I ever want to use one over the other.

Answer 1

Yes. They are not different in sense and both are correct, but, in my opinion, it is recommended to use я маю.

• The phrase у мене є is tracing from the Russian language у меня есть, which is more popular there than я имею.
• In its turn, Russian has this and so many other things from non-Indo-European languages, such as Turkic languages and Finno-Ugric languages. For example:
  • In the Turkish language — bende … var: ben = я, -de = у, var = є.
  • In the Crimean Tatar language — mende … bar: men = я, -de = у, bar = є.
  • In the Finnish language — minulla on …: minä = я, -lla = y, on = є.
• The phrase я маю is a typical expression for Indo-European languages, such as in English language: I have.

Answer 2

You can always replace у мене є + nominative case with я маю + accusative case but the opposite is not true.

You can use мати (to have) verb in meaning of have to modal verb, whereas you cannot use є (present form of бути, to be) verb in the same meaning.

For example: Я маю зробити це сьогодні means I have to do it today.