How to learn to speak Ukrainian. How to learn Ukrainian language
Roots of the Ukrainian language.
About the Ukrainian language.
In its structure, Ukrainian is closest to the Russian language than to any other Slavic language. This was a historical consequence of both Ukraine’s long stay under the political influence of Russia and the constant trade and migration ties between the two peoples.
Many linguists agree that, knowing one of these languages, and having a couple of months and a good training course, you can learn another one.
Studying the Ukrainian language.
Ukrainian: guess the word.
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How to quickly learn the correct Ukrainian language?
Quick Start: Play
Roots of the Ukrainian language.
Slavic languages are usually divided by linguists according to their geography into three groups - Western, Southern and Eastern. Despite the fact that all these groups have a common ethnic basis, and they have many similarities, there are certain differences, which, however, can be clearly defined. It should also be noted that the languages spoken by the interlocutors may belong to different groups, but, nevertheless, their owners will, in general, understand each other without translation. And moreover, if you already know any Slavic language, It will be very easy for you to learn another one and become a polyglot. This is why learning Ukrainian is important for those who want to then learn another language from the family of East Slavic languages, such as Russian or Belarusian.
About the Ukrainian language.
Currently, approximately 51 million people speak Ukrainian, 90 percent of whom are concentrated in Ukraine. The remaining 10 percent are made up of Ukrainian diasporas living around the world in countries such as Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia and the United States.
In its structure, Ukrainian is closest to the Russian language than to any other Slavic language. This was a historical consequence of both Ukraine’s long stay under the political influence of Russia and the constant trade and migration ties between the two peoples. Many linguists agree that, knowing one of these languages, and having a couple of months and a good training course, you can learn the other.
Studying the Ukrainian language.
If you decide to learn Ukrainian on your own, from the comfort of your home, and not attend organized “Learn Ukrainian” courses or anything like that, you will have several learning methods at your disposal. The Internet has firmly entered our lives, and you can find anything in the virtual space. This includes free online Ukrainian lessons, some of which may actually be useful to you, while others may turn out to be a waste of time. Therefore, do not start the course without making sure that this is what you really need, and it is better to “dig” thoroughly through the forums and discussions of this topic.
The second way can be non-intrusive games with the dictionary. This is a good method for beginners who do not yet have an initial vocabulary base, and it provides a basis for some expansion vocabulary further. With such games it will be much easier for you to remember words, some of them will give you some writing and even pronunciation skills. This way, you can “kill two birds with one stone.”
Articles about Ukrainian in other languages
LessonsWhat language do you learn?What language do you speak?
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Nine reasons for (you) to learn Ukrainian
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introductory course of the Ukrainian language (via English)
Russian-Ukrainian and Ukrainian-Russian dictionaries online: download large Russian-Ukrainian dictionary
general and special Russian-Ukrainian dictionaries + idioms, proverbs...
Ukrainian-Russian-English online dictionary in all directions (6 directions)
Ukrainian-English dictionaries online: English-Ukrainian dictionary onlineindustrial English-Ukrainian and Ukrainian-English dictionariesGerman-Ukrainian and Ukrainian-German dictionary onlineshort Swedish-Ukrainian dictionaryshort Polish-Ukrainian dictionaryshort Italian-Ukrainian dictionaryUkrainian dictionaries for Lingvolarge Dictionary Ukrainian language onlinelarge explanatory dictionary of the Ukrainian language downloaddictionary of Ukrainian abbreviationsmore Ukrainian dictionaries (scroll a few screens)
minimum dictionary of the Ukrainian language in English transliteration
download dictionaries, textbooks and tutorials of the Ukrainian language: download a fundamental textbook of the Ukrainian language for beginners
lessons and consultations online for intermediate and high levels: Ukrainian-Romanian phrasebook (click on the squares in the second column on the left)
thematic lessons of Ukrainian vocabulary
names of birds and mammals
multilingual dictionary of industry and technology terms
Ukrainian linguistic portal for advanced students and specialists
frequency dictionaries and electronic reference books on the Ukrainian language
reference book on Ukrainian grammar
everyday Ukrainian phrases with sound and English translation
tracing paper in the Ukrainian language and how to deal with them
portal of Ukrainian language and culture
encyclopedic reference on Ukrainian literature
biographies of Ukrainian writers
Ukrainian texts adapted into educational purposes Ilya Frank's method
network libraries in Ukrainian: Andersen's fairy tales translated into Ukrainian
Ukrainian poetry translated into English
legal literature in Ukrainian
lyrics of Ukrainian songs
Ukrainian lullaby "Oh, walking Dream"
radio stations in Ukrainian
collection of essays in Ukrainian language games, quizzes about Ukraine "gallows" game in Ukrainian Ukrainian tongue twisters forum for students of the Ukrainian language
forum of translators from Ukrainian and into UkrainianUkrainian linguistic humor
virtual Ukrainian keyboard
Ukrainian language is one of the most melodic languages in the world. People who believe that the Ukrainian language is a dialect of Polish or Russian are absolutely wrong. It is worth noting that initially Kievan Rus was located exactly on the territory of Ukraine and therefore the modern Ukrainian language is close to ancient Russian, and even in the last century the famous Ukrainian poet and writer Ivan Franko called it Russian. For example, the word brick in Ukrainian sounds like “tseglina”. Literally the word means "this is clay." At the same time, you need to know that in the Polish language there are as many “Ukrainian” words as there are “Russian” ones. Therefore, the Ukrainian language is not only an independent and unique Slavic language, but can also be quite difficult to learn. However, there is no need to be upset in advance.
When wondering how to quickly learn Ukrainian, you need to pay attention to two very significant details. Related and similar in sound to the Russian language, the Slavic language can turn out to be difficult precisely because of its similarity. Therefore, to quickly learn the Ukrainian language, it is very important to completely immerse yourself in the language environment and in no case try to translate every word in your head. The Ukrainian alphabet is very similar to the Russian one, but there are significant differences. Having learned the letters, you should completely disconnect from Russian grammar and try to perceive words by ear as accurately as possible. One of the advantages of the Ukrainian language is the fact that “it is written as it is heard.” This is quite an important point, and if you “catch” it right away, then you will master competent in writing won't be difficult.
You need to pay attention to the fact that the Ukrainian language has two letters “g”; you will have to work on the pronunciation of one of them. Like the Russian language, the Ukrainian language has parts of speech, parts of words, noun cases, verb conjugations and much more. Because of this, studying native language for its carriers it lasts for 10-11 years schooling. A person who has strong linguistic abilities will be able to master the Ukrainian language extremely quickly. There are known cases when Russian children who did not tell their teachers that they had never studied Ukrainian received an “excellent” grade. The Ukrainian language is characterized by the presence of many synonyms for the same word. Therefore, the same sentence in one case may sound very clear to a Russian-speaking person, but in another it may be completely incomprehensible.
Reading the works of the best representatives of Ukrainian literature will maximally replenish the vocabulary of anyone who has begun to study the Ukrainian language. These include works by Marko Vovchka, Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky, Panas Mirny, Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky, Lesya Ukrainka and Taras Shevchenko. Due to the fact that the Russian and Ukrainian languages have 62% of common vocabulary, you will not have to resort to the dictionary very often. And your vocabulary will expand significantly. When trying to learn Ukrainian modern methods, in no case should you resort to reading the captions, which abound in Ukrainian TV today. Captions are sometimes extremely incorrect and cannot serve as a guide to literate speech.
It is also important to pay attention to the logic of the language. In Ukrainian, participles are used very limitedly, and the construction of sentences is sometimes significantly different from similar sentences in Russian. Therefore, a literal translation is not always correct and is not always correct. People who have tried to translate Ukrainian texts using electronic translators have probably more than once encountered the fact that at some point the sentence seems illiterate. This happens due to flaws in automatic programs. The gender of a word in Russian sometimes does not correspond to the gender of a similar word in Ukrainian. For example, in Russian: person, child - he, in Ukrainian: lyudina, ditina - she.
Without a doubt, any resident of Ukraine will easily understand the Russian language and will be happy to help someone in learning the Ukrainian language. It is more problematic if, for example, a Canadian citizen is a native speaker of Ukrainian. He may speak Ukrainian, English or French, but have absolutely no knowledge of Russian. It is when communicating with such a person that you can notice that he does not understand some Russian words, just as a Russian person does not understand some Ukrainian words. So how to learn Ukrainian? After complete immersion in the language environment, understanding 90, or even 100 percent of what is said will not be difficult. It is much more difficult to speak an unfamiliar language and speak competently.
It is literate speech that is an indicator that a person has mastered the language. If written literacy can be quickly developed through dictations, then it will be possible to overcome language barrier and speaking pure Ukrainian is much more difficult. Persistence and perseverance are required, although the most important factors are curiosity, self-confidence and love for the subject being studied. For those who have wondered how to learn Ukrainian, there is a small recommendation. You should start learning the language by watching children's programs.
In this article I will try to tell you why it is worth learning the Ukrainian language if you don’t know it, and why you should improve it if you are not fluent in it. And in one of next articles I will tell you how and where to start learning this great and wonderful language.
1.Ukrainian music
Ukraine has produced a huge number of musical masterpieces and brilliant performers. I think any further comments are simply unnecessary; it is enough to give just a few examples out of many.
2.Great Ukrainian literature
Here, I think, comments are also unnecessary. Taras Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka - list the greats Ukrainian poets and writers are endless.
3.Ukrainian language is one of the most beautiful in the world
At the beginning of the last century, representatives from each nation gathered in Paris. The international jury held a competition of beauty and melody of the world's languages. The beauty of the sound of languages was assessed. Representatives listened to texts in different languages. Ukrainian came in second place
Here's what foreigners say about our language:
India. Shankar, programmer:
Ukrainian sounds very passionate and emotional. Your songs are very similar to ours. Very pleasant language
Congo. Kena, student:
I would compare the Ukrainian language with Ukrainian lard. It is just as soft and viscous, and at the same time strange and obscure to others - until you try it. You swallow a piece of lard, it glides smoothly down your throat, softens the ligaments - and the result is a pleasant melodic sound. This is the secret of Ukrainian.
France. Mishka, tourism manager:
I love the Ukrainian language. It is very melodic and pleasant to the ear. Although I began to understand what the Ukrainians were talking about only after my 5th visit here. And I was able to communicate with my Ukrainian girlfriend in Ukrainian after about six months. Your language, like French, is very soft and made for love.
Pakistan. Irfan, athlete:
Although the meaning of the words remained a complete mystery to me, it always seemed to me that the Ukrainians were talking about something good. It seems that Ukrainian is very kind and gentle. I especially like it when women speak it; it generally has a more feminine sound.
Spain. Cecilia, teacher Spanish:
My husband and I really like the Ukrainian language. Especially now that after working in Kyiv we moved to Poland. I must say that Polish cannot be compared in musicality and softness with Ukrainian, even despite the fact that the Latin alphabet is much closer and clearer to us. And I also noticed a huge similarity in the sound of the Ukrainian and Spanish languages. So, Ukrainian is easy for Spaniards, and vice versa. My English-speaking husband also likes Ukrainian much more than Polish or Russian.: says it sounds softer and more pleasant.
Poland. Peter, sociologist:
Ukrainian sounds very close to me. It’s as if they took several sounds from Polish, such as “tso” and “psh”, and changed them to guttural ones. It sounds very fun, like a mixture of Polish, Belarusian and Russian.
Italy. Gabriel, guide:
I like Ukrainian and it seems very melodic. I know Russian, but it’s much rougher, and I like how many Ukrainian words sound in comparison with Russian. Ukrainian reminds me very much of the Brazilian version of Portuguese, it is as soft and viscous as bossa nova songs.
4.Ukraine and Europe
Relevant for adequate residents of the Russian Federation (others simply will not be allowed in), Belarus, Kazakhstan, Georgia and other countries.
Ukraine has signed an association with the EU and will soon join it. Obtaining citizenship or a residence permit in Ukraine will provide the opportunity to live in a rule-of-law state, without fear of bureaucratic or police brutality, and will provide the opportunity to travel freely throughout Europe.
To obtain citizenship, you will need to pass tests for knowledge of the Ukrainian language and history. So don't waste time :)
5. Ukrainian language - Slavic language
This means that knowing Ukrainian, you will be able to better understand Czech, Polish, Croatian, Bulgarian, and other languages, and you will be able to master these languages, if necessary, much faster than without knowing Ukrainian.
Simplest example :)
6.Ukrainian girls
The fact that Ukrainian women are the most beautiful in the world is known to many. Your chances of successfully meeting a Ukrainian woman will increase many times over if you speak Ukrainian :)
7.You will be able to understand the majestic Ukrainian anthem
According to many, the Ukrainian anthem is among the top ten most popular, beautiful and solemn anthems. UNESCO recognized the Ukrainian anthem as the best in the world.
8.Bilingualism has a positive effect on intelligence
Bilingualism affects intelligence and protects against dementia
"Learning a second language can have positive effects on the brain, even if the study began in adulthood, scientists from the University of Edinburgh found. Researchers have found that as a result of learning a second language, people experience improved reading skills and speed at solving intellectual problems. Previous studies have also shown that bilingualism may delay the onset of dementia by several years. The strongest effects were found for intellectual ability and improved reading skills. Positive effects were observed both in people who began learning a second language at a young age and in those who began to do so later."
I completely agree with the scientists from Edinburgh, and I will add that largely due to bilingualism, Ukrainians are on average much smarter than Russians.
9.The Ukrainian language is the language of free people.
Ukrainian is spoken by those who rebelled against dictatorship and lawlessness, by those who were not afraid to go against Putin’s totalitarian system.
Learn languages :)
Despite the fact that the Ukrainian language is sometimes very similar to Belarusian and Russian, if you come to the country without knowing the language, you can end up in an awkward situation full of misunderstandings. Therefore, it is worth preparing for your upcoming trip to Ukraine.
– an online resource aimed at replenishing the user’s vocabulary. To do this, you can use one of the blocks. Here you can look through the dictionary and listen to the pronunciation of each word, try to guess the word from the many suggested ones, collect phrases, and also use the services of a tutor via Skype.
Another free online service for learning the Ukrainian language. The site contains the most popular phrases and formulations. And learn new material A translation with accompanying audio playback and illustrations will help. The site has similar sections for other languages.
A resource that provides the opportunity to learn many languages, including Ukrainian. Pictures and sound recordings from native speakers can help you learn words. Using the site, the listener will learn to speak, read and write correctly in Ukrainian; more than a thousand expressions and words that are most often used in everyday life are collected here.
An online dictionary that will help the user learn new words. The visitor gets the opportunity not only to save words, but also to conduct self-tests. Registration is required.
An online library where you can find many Ukrainian audiobooks. Each page with an audio file has a link to the source text, so other skills are also involved with language comprehension.
This multilingual site will improve your pronunciation and sentence building skills in Ukrainian. The resource contains many audio recordings of native speakers.
– an online space for sharing knowledge in group chats. For an additional fee, you will find the most suitable pen pal for yourself. The system will select him based on the data you filled out in the proposed questionnaire: his native language, country of origin, age and language he practices. Here you can learn 115 languages in real time and for free, using voice or text chat. Here you can also compete in vocabulary games, read books in the online library, or correspond via email.
– Ukrainian for beginners. The channel contains cartoons that introduce the Ukrainian alphabet and tell simple stories that help you get used to the language.
Since the Euromaidan, the use of the Ukrainian language in communication among citizens of Ukraine has become a trend and a sign of patriotism.
“A language disappears not because others don’t learn it, but because those who know it don’t speak it.”- these words of Spanish politician Jose Maria Artze spread across social networks as a call to communicate in their native language. Speaking Ukrainian has become not just a fashion, but a necessity for many conscientious citizens. However, for the majority, psychological barriers and fears became an obstacle. Here are some tips on how to start speaking Ukrainian in a Russian-speaking environment, and most importantly, how to speak correctly.
These tips are universal and can help you master any foreign language.
1 . Get rid of your fears
Most Ukrainians who hesitated to switch to their native language in communication find the same excuses. But these are all myths that are easily debunked.
- “I don’t speak Ukrainian well, and I don’t want to spoil it.” Not a single nation in the world has a literary version of its native language. Even the residents Western Ukraine They don’t speak pure Ukrainian.
- “I’ve spoken Russian since childhood, my family is Russian-speaking.” Imagine that with the same conviction you would try to live, for example, in the USA. Would you continue to speak Russian?
- “It’s a dead language, no one in my city speaks Ukrainian.” Well, you have a chance to become a pioneer and submit good example for the rest of his fellow countrymen.
2. Create a Ukrainian-speaking environment
Start with passive accumulation of Ukrainian vocabulary. Watch movies and TV series with Ukrainian dubbing, read Ukrainian-language press and listen to Ukrainian music. Set up your computer, program interface and social networks in Ukrainian. When visiting various sites and making payments, select the Ukrainian language in the interface.
3. write in Ukrainian
4 . Talk to strangers
The easiest way to overcome the psychological barrier is to start speaking Ukrainian first of all with strangers: in a store, in transport, on the street. Be prepared that your speech will seem terrible to you, but only practice and time will help you establish yourself in the language.
5 . Start talking in everyday life
Once you start speaking Ukrainian at home and at work, be prepared to explain the reason for this change. Tell your family and friends about your position and ask them to support you in this endeavor. Remember, Russian-speaking Ukrainians understand you perfectly, even if they address you in Russian. Practice has proven that even native Russians understand Ukrainian, if spoken slowly. Be prepared to feel how difficult it is to maintain such a dialogue, because during a conversation people automatically use each other's words. We must learn not to let our guard down. It’s better to speak more slowly, but in Ukrainian.
6. Find experienced conversation partners
It is important not just to speak, but to speak correctly. For this, it is important to have an interlocutor who will become an example for you. Listening to his language will make it easier for you to respond in Ukrainian. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and ask unfamiliar words. This way you will quickly enrich your vocabulary.
7. Be patient
In order to not only speak fluently, but also think in Ukrainian, you will need about a year. But during this period you will need breaks. Don't be afraid to take a week or a month off and try again later.
8 . Free Ukrainian language courses
Those who are not able to master the language on their own should sign up for free courses Ukrainian language, which exist in many cities of Ukraine. Here you will definitely find like-minded people and constant Ukrainian communication!
