Ukrainian and Russian - Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger

Ukrainian & Russian

Ukrainian Glossary

babushka

grandmother (mostly used by Russian-speaking people, but also Ukrainians)

бабушка

dacha

a summer cottage in the country; many families have one but the sizes vary

дача

dobre

fine; good

добре

Donbas, Luhansk

two of Ukraine’s eastern provinces, invaded and occupied by Russian separatists

Донбас, Луганськ

khvist

tail

хвіст

klassno!

First class! Like, “Cool!” or “Super!”

Класно!

kotyk(u)

kitten (term of endearment)

котику

Kyiv

the capital of Ukraine, and also where the governing bodies are found

Київ

Mama

mom or mother

Мама

Mova - (tse) nasha zbroya!

Language is our weapon!

Мова – це наша зброя!

Ni!

No!

Ні. (confusing, right? The H is the N).

Odesa

a Ukrainian city on the Black Sea

Одеса

pyrizhok or pyrizhky

jelly-filled pastry (singular) or jelly-filled pastries (plural)

Пиріжок, пиріжки

rashist

a deragotory name for someone who is racist, Russian (and xenophobic)

рашист

razom!

together!

разом

solodku

Sweetheart

солодку

Tato, Tatu

dad or father

Тато, Тату

vulitsya Rybochka

Little Fish Street

вулиця Рибочка

vyshyvanka

embroidery; also refers to traditional clothing that contains embroidery

вишиванка

Russian Glossary

babushka

grandmother (mostly used by Russian-speaking people, but also Ukrainians)

бабушка

dacha

a summer cottage in the country; many families have one but the sizes vary дача

khvost

tail

хвост

mat'

mom or mother

мать

rashist

a deragotory name for someone who is racist, Russian (and xenophobic)

рашист

otets'

dad or father

отец

yes

да

Rossiya!

Russia!

Россия

Ya bol'she ne vernus'

I’m not (ever) coming back.

Я больше не вернусь.

the Kremlin

the citadel, or walled area, where the governing bodies of Russia are found

Кремль

Cyrillic Alphabet

Cyrillic is the alphanet used by many Slavic people, including Russian and Ukrainian people. Compare the Russian with the Ukrainian. What differences do you see?

Russian Alphabet

A a	a as in father
Б б	b as in but
В в	v as in van
Г г	g as in get
Дд	d as in dress
E e	ye as in yesterday
Е ё	yo as in yonder
Ж ж	zh as in measure
З з	z as in zoo
И и	ee as in meet
И й	y as in toy

K к	k as in class
Л л	l as in love
MM	m as mother
Н н	n as in name
О о	o as in bottle
П п	p as in paper
P p	r as in error
С с	s as in smile
T т	t as in ten
У у	u as in cool
Ф ф	f as in farm

X x	h as in loch
Ц ц	ts as in its
Ч ч	ch as in chess
Ш ш	sh as in fish
Щ щ	shsh in fresh chat
Ъ	“hard sign”
Ы ы	i as in bill
ь	“soft sign”
Э э	e as in bet
Ю ю	yu in Yugoslavia
Я я	ya as in yard

Ukrainian Alphabet

А а	like a in father
Б б	like b in bat
В в	like v in valve
Г г	like h in hat
Ґ ґ	like g in got
Д д	like d in dog
Е е	like e in let
Є є	like ye in yes
Ж ж	like ge in garage
З з	like z in zoo
И и	like i in it or y in myth

І і	like ee in meet
Ї ї	like yie sound in yield
Й й	like y in yolk
К к	like k in kit
Л л	like l in lab
М м	like m in more
Н н	linke n in no
О о	like o in off, dot
П п	like p in poor
Р р	like r in error
С с	like s in sit

У у	like oo in boot
ф Ф	like f in fit
Х х	like ch in Loch Ness
Ц ц	like ts in bats
Ч ч	like ch in chip
Ш ш	like sh in shot
Щ щ	like sh ch in fresh cheese
Ь ь	“soft sign”
Ю ю	like the word you
Я я	like ya in yacht
У у	like oo in boot

What is transliteration?

How can English speakers still read Ukrainian words? By transliteration. That means assigning the English alphabet to the Ukrainian alphabet and sounds. If you look at the Ukrainian chart, the transliteration key is available to you. For fun, try spelling these words from the Latin into Cyrillic letters in Ukrainian. Check your answers by clicking on the box. You’ll get the definition, too!

Chorne More

Чорне море
Black Sea

Yurko

Юрко
George

Stefa

Стефа
short for Stephanie

holubtsi

голубці
cabbage rolls, a popular dish

Pysanka

писанка
a traditional, hand-painted Easter egg

>> LEARN MORE HERE