Let’s Learn Ukrainian Language Together

[Katrink]

Ukrainian is from Eastern Slavonic group of languages. It is really closely related to Belarusian, Russian and Polish. This language is spoken not only in Ukraine but also partially in Russia, Hungary, Georgia, Slovakia, Moldova and some other countries. Surely, the best place to learn Ukrainian language is Ukraine, but if you do not have such opportunity, you can check this section for new threads. Here I will post grammar rules, peculiarities of pronunciation and useful vocabulary.

By the way, if you are polyglot and want to know as many languages as it is only possible, so here is perfect news for you: most of Ukrainian letters are the same like in Russian language. That is why if you know Russian, so learning Ukrainian will not be so hard.

Well, Ukrainian alphabet has thirty three letters and one additional sign – an apostrophe (‘). Ukrainian alphabet will be Украї́нська абе́тка (Ukraḯns´ka abétka)

Apostrophe in Ukrainian role plays special role. This sign is used instead of hard sign in Russian language. There are certain rules for using this sign. To write and to speak Ukrainian correctly, you need to remember just several letters, that go after an apostrophe: Ю, Є, Я, Ї

Here are examples:

Під'їзд - Pìd'ïzd -  Entrance hall in multistoried building

об'єкт - ob'êkt - Object

The whole Ukrainian alphabet you can find here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_alphabet

If to compare Ukrainian and Russian alphabets, so will see just some difference.

For example: 

І і – індик – ìndyk – turkey.  English sound  (i) as in see.

И и  - гриб  -  gryb -  mushroom.  English sound  (ɪ) as in ink.

Ї ї  - Їжачок - Ïžačok – hedgehog . English sound  (ji) as in yield.

Е е – екран – ekran -  screen.  English sound  (ɛ) as in Jerry.

Є є  - Євгеній – Êvgenìj - Eugene(name for men). English sound (jɛ) as in yellow.

Ґ ґ  - Ґрунт  - Ґrunt – Soil.  English sound (ɡ)as in gift.

Also in Ukrainian language we do not have Ъ sign.  Instead of it we use an apostrophe sign.               

Pronunciation of Ukrainian letters is very soft, except of letter Ґ ґ. However, in modern Ukrainian language in everyday speech difference between Ґ ґ  and Г г is not very noticeable.

If you have questions about Russian letters and sounds, so I will help you.

Good luck!