Ukrainian for Russian Speakers

Published: April 12, 2023

The following is a short Russian MiniLesson concentrating on the differences between Russian and Ukrainian. Words and phrases below (but not letters) shown in bold have annotation. Just hover your cursor over the text to see the annotation. Interested in really expanding your knowledge of the Ukrainian language? For a deeper learning experience, see these online and study abroad experiences from SRAS!


Lesson on How Russian and Ukrainian Differ

For more on this subject in English, click here!

ะฃะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะธะน ัะทั‹ะบ โ€“ ะพะดะธะฝ ะธะท ะฝะฐะธะฑะพะปะตะต ั€ะฐัะฟั€ะพัั‚ั€ะฐะฝะตะฝะฝั‹ั… ัะปะฐะฒัะฝัะบะธั… ัะทั‹ะบะพะฒ ะฒ ะผะธั€ะต. ะšั€ะพะผะต ะฃะบั€ะฐะธะฝั‹, ะตะณะพ ะผะพะถะฝะพ ัƒัะปั‹ัˆะฐั‚ัŒ ะฒ ัั‚ั€ะฐะฝะฐั… ะ•ะฒั€ะพะฟั‹, ะšะฐะฝะฐะดะต, ะะฒัั‚ั€ะฐะปะธะธ ะธ ะดะฐะถะต ะฒ ะ‘ั€ะฐะทะธะปะธะธ ะธ ะั€ะณะตะฝั‚ะธะฝะต. ะะตะผะฐะปะพ ะณะพะฒะพั€ัั‰ะธั… ะฟะพ-ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะธ ะธ ะฒ ะกะจะ โ€“ ะฝะฐะฟั€ะธะผะตั€, ะฒ ะพะบั€ัƒะณะต ะšัƒะบ ัˆั‚ะฐั‚ะฐ ะ˜ะปะปะธะฝะพะนั, ะณะดะต ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะธะน ะฒั…ะพะดะธั‚ ะฒ ั‡ะธัะปะพ ัะฐะผั‹ั… ะธัะฟะพะปัŒะทัƒะตะผั‹ั… ัะทั‹ะบะพะฒ ะธ ะธะผะตะตั‚ ะฟะพะปัƒะพั„ะธั†ะธะฐะปัŒะฝั‹ะน ัั‚ะฐั‚ัƒั.

ะ•ัะปะธ ะฒั‹ ัƒะถะต ะฝะตะผะฝะพะณะพ ะณะพะฒะพั€ะธั‚ะต ะฟะพ-ั€ัƒััะบะธ, ั‚ะพ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะธะน ัะทั‹ะบ ะผะพะถะตั‚ ะฟะพะบะฐะทะฐั‚ัŒัั ะฒะฐะผ ะทะฝะฐะบะพะผั‹ะผ. ะ˜ ะดะตะนัั‚ะฒะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพ โ€“ ัƒ ะดะฒัƒั… ัะทั‹ะบะพะฒ ะตัั‚ัŒ ะฝะตะผะฐะปะพ ัั…ะพะดัั‚ะฒ, ะฝะฐ ะบะฐะถะดะพะผ ะธะท ัƒั€ะพะฒะฝะตะน ะธั… ะพั€ะณะฐะฝะธะทะฐั†ะธะธ. ะ”ะฐะฒะฐะนั‚ะต ะฝะตะผะฝะพะณะพ ะฟะพะณะพะฒะพั€ะธะผ ะบะฐะบ ะพะฑ ัั‚ะธั… ัั…ะพะดัั‚ะฒะฐั…, ั‚ะฐะบ ะธ ะพ ั€ะฐะทะปะธั‡ะธัั…, ะบะพั‚ะพั€ั‹ะต ะดะตะปะฐัŽั‚ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะธะน ัะทั‹ะบ ัƒะฝะธะบะฐะปัŒะฝั‹ะผ ะธ ะธะฝั‚ะตั€ะตัะฝั‹ะผ ะดะปั ะธะทัƒั‡ะตะฝะธั.

ะ˜ะทะฒะตัั‚ะฝะพ, ั‡ั‚ะพ ะธะทัƒั‡ะตะฝะธะต ัะทั‹ะบะฐ ะฝะฐั‡ะธะฝะฐะตั‚ัั ั ะฐะปั„ะฐะฒะธั‚ะฐ. ะ˜ ั€ัƒััะบะธะน, ะธ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะธะน ัะทั‹ะบะธ ะธัะฟะพะปัŒะทัƒัŽั‚ ะบะธั€ะธะปะปะธั‡ะตัะบะธะน ะฐะปั„ะฐะฒะธั‚ โ€“ ะฝะพ ั ะฝะตะฑะพะปัŒัˆะธะผะธ ะพั‚ะปะธั‡ะธัะผะธ. ะš ะฟั€ะธะผะตั€ัƒ, ะฒ ั€ัƒััะบะพะผ ัะทั‹ะบะต ะตัั‚ัŒ ะฑัƒะบะฒะฐ ะ, ะฐ ะฒ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะพะผ ะตะต ะฝะตั‚, ะฝะพ ะตัั‚ัŒ ะฑัƒะบะฒั‹ า ะธ ะ‡. ะžั‚ะปะธั‡ะฐะตั‚ัั ะธ ะฟั€ะพะธะทะฝะพัˆะตะฝะธะต ะฟะพั…ะพะถะธั… ะฑัƒะบะฒ โ€“ ั‚ะฐะบ, ะฒ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะพะผ ะฑัƒะบะฒะฐ ะ˜ ะฑัƒะดะตั‚ ั‡ะธั‚ะฐั‚ัŒัั ะบะฐะบ ั€ัƒััะบะฐั ะซ [y], ะฐ ะดะปั ะฟะตั€ะตะดะฐั‡ะธ ะทะฒัƒะบะฐ [i], ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะธะน ัะทั‹ะบ ะธัะฟะพะปัŒะทัƒะตั‚ ะปะฐั‚ะธะฝัะบัƒัŽ ะฑัƒะบะฒัƒ I. E.g. ะ˜ะฝะฝะฐ โ€“ Inna. ะ•ั‰ะต ะพะดะฝะธะผ ะพั‚ะปะธั‡ะธะตะผ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะพะณะพ ัะทั‹ะบะฐ ะฑัƒะดะตั‚ ะพั‚ััƒั‚ัั‚ะฒะธะต ั€ะตะดัƒะบั†ะธะธ ะณะปะฐัะฝั‹ั… ะฒ ะฑะตะทัƒะดะฐั€ะฝั‹ั… ัะปะพะณะฐั…, ะบะพั‚ะพั€ะฐั ั‡ะฐัั‚ะพ ะฟั€ะพะธัั…ะพะดะธั‚ ะฒ ั€ัƒััะบะพะผ. Cf. ะžะบัะฐะฝะฐ โ€“ [Oksana] (ั€ัƒััะบะธะน), ะžะบัะฐะฝะฐ โ€“ [oksana] (ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะธะน). ะ ะทะฝะฐั‡ะธั‚, ะผะพะถะฝะพ ะฟะธัะฐั‚ัŒ ัะปะพะฒะฐ ั‚ะฐะบ, ะบะฐะบ ั‚ั‹ ะธั… ัะปั‹ัˆะธัˆัŒ.

ะ›ะตะบัะธะบะฐ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะพะณะพ ัะทั‹ะบะฐ ะพั‡ะตะฝัŒ ะฑะปะธะทะบะฐ ะบ ั€ัƒััะบะพะน ะธ ะฑะตะปะพั€ัƒััะบะพะน, ั‡ั‚ะพ ั‚ะฐะบะถะต ะผะพะถะตั‚ ะฟะพะผะพั‡ัŒ ะฟั€ะธ ะพะฑั‰ะตะฝะธะธ ั ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝั†ะฐะผะธ. ะœะฝะพะณะธะต ัะปะพะฒะฐ ัะพะฒะฟะฐะดะฐัŽั‚ ั†ะตะปะธะบะพะผ (ะฝะฐะฟั€ะธะผะตั€, ะฑะฐะฝะบ, ัะฐะด, ะฟะฐั€ะบ, ะฑั€ะฐั‚ ะธ ะดั€.), ะฐ ะดั€ัƒะณะธะต โ€“ ะพั‚ะปะธั‡ะฐัŽั‚ัั ะพะดะฝะพะน ะธะปะธ ะฝะตัะบะพะปัŒะบะธะผะธ ะฑัƒะบะฒะฐะผะธ (ัะพะบ โ€“ ัiะบ, ัะฒะตะถะธะน โ€“ ัะฒiะถะธะน, ะฒะพะทัŒะผะธั‚ะต โ€“ ะฒiะทะผiั‚ัŒ).

ะ’ ะณั€ะฐะผะผะฐั‚ะธะบะต ะพะฑะพะธั… ัะทั‹ะบะพะฒ ั‚ะฐะบะถะต ะผะฝะพะณะพ ะพะฑั‰ะตะณะพ โ€“ ะธ ั‚ะฐะผ, ะธ ั‚ะฐะผ ััƒั‰ะตัั‚ะฒะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝั‹ะต ะธ ะฟั€ะธะปะฐะณะฐั‚ะตะปัŒะฝั‹ะต ะธะทะผะตะฝััŽั‚ัั ะฟะพ ั€ะพะดะฐะผ, ั‡ะธัะปะฐะผ ะธ ะฟะฐะดะตะถะฐะผ, ะฐ ะดะปั ะณะปะฐะณะพะปะพะฒ ะตัั‚ัŒ ั‚ั€ะธ ะพัะฝะพะฒะฝั‹ั… ะฒั€ะตะผะตะฝะธ โ€“ ะฝะฐัั‚ะพัั‰ะตะต, ะฟั€ะพัˆะตะดัˆะตะต ะธ ะฑัƒะดัƒั‰ะตะต. ะะพ ะธ ะทะดะตััŒ ะผะพะถะฝะพ ะพั‚ะผะตั‚ะธั‚ัŒ ะพั€ะธะณะธะฝะฐะปัŒะฝะพัั‚ัŒ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะพะณะพ ัะทั‹ะบะฐ โ€“ ะฒะฐะถะฝัƒัŽ ั€ะพะปัŒ ะฒ ะฝะตะผ ะธะณั€ะฐะตั‚ ั‚ะฐะบ ะฝะฐะทั‹ะฒะฐะตะผั‹ะน ะทะฒะฐั‚ะตะปัŒะฝั‹ะน ะฟะฐะดะตะถ (ะฒะพะบะฐั‚ะธะฒ), ะบะพั‚ะพั€ั‹ะน ะฟะพั‡ั‚ะธ ะฝะต ัะพั…ั€ะฐะฝะธะปัั ะฒ ั€ัƒััะบะพะผ. Cf. ะŸั€ะธะฒะตั‚, ะขะพะผ! (ั€ัƒั.) โ€“ ะŸั€ะธะฒiั‚, ะขะพะผะต! (ัƒะบั€.); ะšะฐะบ ั‚ั‹, ะ”ะถะตะบ? (ั€ัƒั.) โ€“ ะฏะบ ั‚ะธ, ะ”ะถะตะบัƒ? (ัƒะบั€.) ะ˜ะฝั‚ะตั€ะตัะฝะพ ะธ ั‚ะพ, ั‡ั‚ะพ ะฒ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะพะผ ัะทั‹ะบะต ะฑะพะปัŒัˆะต ั„ะพั€ะผ ะฑัƒะดัƒั‰ะตะณะพ ะฒั€ะตะผะตะฝะธ โ€“ ะธั… ั†ะตะปั‹ั… ั‚ั€ะธ. Cf. ะฏ ะฟั€ะพั‡ะธั‚ะฐัŽ ะบะฝะธะณัƒ (ั€ัƒั.) โ€“ ะฏ ะฟั€ะพั‡ะธั‚ะฐัŽ ะบะฝะธะณัƒ (ัƒะบั€.), ะฝะพ ะฏ ะฑัƒะดัƒ ั‡ะธั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ ะบะฝะธะณัƒ (ั€ัƒั.) โ€“ ะฏ ะฑัƒะดัƒ ั‡ะธั‚ะฐั‚ะธ ะบะฝะธะณัƒ/ะฏ ั‡ะธั‚ะฐั‚ะธะผัƒ ะบะฝะธะณัƒ (ัƒะบั€.)

ะšะฐะถะดั‹ะน ัะทั‹ะบ ะฝะตัะตั‚ ะฒ ัะตะฑะต ะบัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ัƒ ะธ ะธัั‚ะพั€ะธัŽ ัะฒะพะตะณะพ ะฝะฐั€ะพะดะฐ. ะ‘ะปะฐะณะพะดะฐั€ั ัั‚ะพะผัƒ, ะฒ ะฝะตะบะพั‚ะพั€ั‹ั… ัะปัƒั‡ะฐัั… ะผะพะถะฝะพ ะพั‚ัะปะตะดะธั‚ัŒ ะฒะปะธัะฝะธะต ัะทั‹ะบะพะฒ ะดั€ัƒะณ ะฝะฐ ะดั€ัƒะณะฐ ะธะปะธ ะธั… ะพะฑั‰ะตะต ะฟั€ะพะธัั…ะพะถะดะตะฝะธะต. ะขะฐะบ, ะตัะปะธ ะผั‹ ะฟะพัะผะพั‚ั€ะธะผ ะฝะฐ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะธะต ะฝะฐะทะฒะฐะฝะธั ะผะตััั†ะตะฒ ะณะพะดะฐ, ั‚ะพ ะพะฑะฝะฐั€ัƒะถะธะผ, ั‡ั‚ะพ ะพะฝะธ ะพั‚ะปะธั‡ะฐัŽั‚ัั ะพั‚ ัะพะฒั€ะตะผะตะฝะฝั‹ั… ั€ัƒััะบะธั…, ะฝะพ ะฟั€ะธ ัั‚ะพะผ ะพั‡ะตะฝัŒ ะฑะปะธะทะบะธ ะบ ะฟะพะปัŒัะบะธะผ. Cf. ั„ะตะฒั€ะฐะปัŒ (ั€ัƒั.) โ€“ ะ›ัŽั‚ะธะน (ัƒะบั€.) โ€“ Luty (ะฟะพะปัŒัะบ.)

ะ˜ะทัƒั‡ะธะฒ ัƒะบั€ะฐะธะฝัะบะธะน, ะฒั‹ ัะผะพะถะตั‚ะต ัะฟะพะปะฝะฐ ะฝะฐัะปะฐะดะธั‚ัŒัั ะฟะพะตะทะดะบะฐะผะธ ะฒ ะšะธะตะฒ, ะ›ัŒะฒะพะฒ, ะžะดะตัััƒ ะธ ะดั€ัƒะณะธะต ะฒะฐะถะฝั‹ะต ะธ ะธะฝั‚ะตั€ะตัะฝั‹ะต ะณะพั€ะพะดะฐ ะฃะบั€ะฐะธะฝั‹. ะ ะตัะปะธ ะฒั‹ ัƒะถะต ะทะฝะฐะตั‚ะต ั€ัƒััะบะธะน, ั‚ะพ ัั‚ะพ ะพะฑัะทะฐั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพ ะฟะพะผะพะถะตั‚ ะฒะฐะผ ะฒ ะฟั€ะพั†ะตััะต. ะฃัะฟะตั…ะพะฒ!

Interested in really expanding your knowledge of the Ukrainian language and culture while also practicing your Russian skills? For a deeper learning experience, see these online and study abroad experiences from SRAS!

Listening Comprehension

ะญะผะพั†ะธะพะฝะฐะปัŒะฝั‹ะผ, ะถะธะฒั‹ะผ, ะฟั€ะธัั‚ะฝั‹ะผ ะฝะฐ ัะปัƒั…, ะปะตะณะบะธะผ ะธ ั€ะธั‚ะผะธั‡ะฝั‹ะผ.ย 

ะกะตะผัŒ ะฟะฐะดะตะถะตะน. ะ’ะตะดัƒั‰ะฐั ั€ะฐััะบะฐะทั‹ะฒะฐะตั‚ ะพ ะทะฒะฐั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพะผ ะฟะฐะดะตะถะต (ะฒะพะบะฐั‚ะธะฒะต).

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About the author

Alex Sitnikov

Alex Sitnikov

Alex holds a BA in Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) and an MA in Translation. He came to Moscow from Tolyatti to study at Lomonosov Moscow State University in 2013 and has been in love with the city ever since. Alex coordinates student activities in Moscow for SRAS. When heโ€™s not occupied with that, Alex likes to play guitar, sing, read, play videogames, and make YouTube videos.

Program attended: SRAS Staff Member

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