Your Best Travel Guide to Ukraine 10:41 | 10.10.2024 Choose your language УкраїнськаEnglishРусскийPolskaDeutschItalianoFrançaiseEspañol
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Ukraine Travel Center
Language Culture

Ukrainian language (ukrayins’ka mova) is the official language of Ukraine. It is one of the East Slavic languages like Russian and Belorussian. These languages use the Cyrillic alphabeth. Ukrainian language is currently emerging from a long period of decline. But it is mostly prevalent in Western Ukraine (where it undergone some Polish influence).

 

In Kiev (Kyiv), both languages Ukrainian and Russian are spoken. Actually, this is a notable shift from the recent past when the city was primarily Russian speaking. The shift is caused, largely, by an influx of migrants from the western regions of Ukraine but also by some Kievans' turning to use the language they speak at home more widely in everyday matters. In northern and central Ukraine, Russian is the language of the urban population, while in rural areas Ukrainian or a mix of Ukrainian and Russian (called "surzhik") is much more common. This is also true of much of the south and the east. But you can hardly find anybody speaking Ukrainian in Crimea.

Speak Ukrainian!

Words and phrases of everyday use. Pronouns. Family. Travel words and phrases. Directions. Numbers.

Remember: English pronoun "You" translates into Ukrainian in two ways: "Vy" as a polite form and "Ty" - familiar.

Words and phrases of everyday use.

English

Ukrainian
(transliteration)

Hello!

Vitayu

Hi!

Pryvit

Goodbye!

Do pobachennya

Bye!

Pa-pa!

Good morning

Dobrogo rankoo

Good afternoon

Dobryy' den'

Good evening

Dobryy' vechir

Good night

Dobranich

Yes

Tak

No

Ni

Thank you

Dyakuyu

Thank you very much

Duzhe dyakuyu

You're welcome

Proshu, bud' laska

Please

Proshu, bud' laska

Excuse me

Pereproshuyu, vybachte

I am sorry

Vybachte

Okey!

Harazd, dobre

How are you?

Yak spravy?

Good

Dobre

Bad

Pohano

So-so

Tak sobi

Just a moment

Khvylynku

I do not understand

Ya ne rozumiyu

Do you undersand?

Rozumiyesh?
Rozumiyete?

How do you say this in (Ukrainian) (Russian)?

Yak vy tse skazhete po (ukrayins'ky)?

Do you speak (English)?
German
French
Spanish
Italian

Chy vy hovoryte po anglyis'ki?
po nimets'ky
po frantsuz'ky
po espans'ky
po italyis'ky

Nice to meet you

Pryyemno z vamy poznayomytys'

What is your name?

Yak vas zvut'? (Yake vashe imya?)

My name is

Mene zvaty.... (Moye imya)

Where are you from?

Zvidky Vy?

I love you!

Ya tebe kohayu! Ya tebe lyublyu! (informal)
Ya vas kohayu! Ya vas lyublyu! (formal or can be more romantic)

I like you!

Ty meni podobayeshsya! (formal)
Vy meni podobayetes'! (formal)

How old are you?

Skil'ky tobi (vam) rokiv?

How much (does it cost)?

Skil'ky tse koshtuye?

I want (to know)!

Ya hochu (znaty)!

I need

Meni treba

Where is a bathroom (toilet)?

De tut uborna (tualet)

Let's go

Pishly

I don't have..! (time)

V mene nemaye..! (Ya ne mayu!) (chasu)

Cheers! (when drinking)

Bud'mo!

I would like a beer please

Meni, bud' laska pyva

Do you have a menu in English?

U vas ye menyu na anliis'kyi?

Today

Syohodni

Tomorrow

Zavtra

Yesterday

Vchora

Pronouns / Interrogative Pronouns

English

Ukrainian
(transliteration)

I

Ya

You (singular)

Ty (familiar) Vy (formal)

He

Vin

She

Vona

It (it is)

Vono (tse)

We

My

You (plural)

Vy

They

Vony

 

English

Ukrainian
(transliteration)

Where?

De?

When?

Koly?

Who?

Khto?

What?

Chsho?

Which?

Yakyy? (m), Yaka? (f) Yake? (mid)

How?

Yak?

How many (much)?

Skil'ky?

Why?

Chomu?

What for?

Dlya choho? Chogo?

Family

English

Ukrainian
(transliteration)

Mother

Maty, mama

Father

Bat'ko, tato

Sister

Sestra

Brother

Brat (like broccolli)

Wife

Druzhyna

Husband

Cholovik

Son

Syn

Daughter

Dochka

Friend

Pryyatel', drug (male); Pryyatel'ka, podruga (female)

Travel words and phrases

English

Ukrainian
(transliteration)

Map

Karta, mapa

Tourist Information

Informatsiya dlya turystiv

Ticket

Kvytok

One ticket to

Odyn kvytok do

Train

Potyah

Train station

Zaliznychna stantsiya (zhd vokzal)

Bus

Avtobus

Bus station

Avtovokzal

Bus stop

Avtobusna zupynka

Metro, Subway

Metro, pidzemka

Departure

Vidyizd

Arrival

Pryyizd, pryboottya

Departure (airplane)

Vidlit

Arrival (airplane)

Prylit

Airport

Aeroport

Plane

Litak

Hotel

Hotel'

Room

Kimnata

No vacancies

Nemaye vilnykh kimnat

Passport

Pasport

Quickly

Shvydko

Slowly

Povil'no

Interesting

Tsikavo

Post office

Poshta

Bank

Bank (like baunk)

Pharmacy, Chemists

Apteka ('a' like 'awe')

Hospital

Likarnya, shpytal'

Restaurant

Restoran

Store, Shop

Kramnytsya

Street

Vulytsya

Square

Ploshcha

River

Richka, rika

Sea

More ('e' like 'a' in map)

Bridge

Mist

Directions & Numbers

English

Ukrainian
(transliteration)

Right

Napravo

Left

Nalivo

Straight

Pryamo

Up

Vhoru

Down

Vnyz

Near

Blyz'ko, bilya, kolo

Far

Daleko

Short

Korotkyy, korotka

Long

Dovhyy, dovha

There

Tam

Here

Toot

Under

Pid

On

Na

In

V

 

English

Ukrainian
(transliteration)

One

Odyn

Two

Dva

Three

Tri

Four

Chotyry

Five

Pjat'

Six

Shist'

Seven

Sim

Eight

Visim

Nine

Dev'jat'

Ten

Desjat'

Twenty

Dvadtsjat'

Fifty

P'jat'desjat

One hundred (gramms)

Sto (gram) ('a' like in gracias)

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