Lesson 17 - Ukrainian Made Easy

Welcome to UME Lesson 17. Today we'll be speaking about speaking...that is, about which languages we speak. To start, please repeat the following phrase after the speaker:

Я говорю українською.

Whoa! One more time, a little slower:

(slowly) Я говорю українською.

I was born and raised in New York, so if someone asks me what language I speak, I'd tell them, "I speak English." Meanwhile, my friend Vlad was born and raised in Kiev. Ask him what language he speaks and he'll tell you: Я говорю українською.

He's saying: I speak Ukrainian.

Now, if you've studied Ukrainian elsewhere, even a little, you've probably encountered this phrase already. But whether it's new to you, or old hat, we're going to expand on that phrase in some new directions today. So say it one more time: I speak Ukrainian.

Я говорю українською.

How do you think you'd ask your friend: Do you speak Ukrainian?

Ти говориш українською?

Let's practice those verbs side by side. Say: I speak, you speak.

Я говорю / Ти говориш

One more time?

Я говорю / Ти говориш

Now, do you remember how to say: I'm an Englishman.

Я -- англієць.

So, imagine I'm an Englishman and my Ukrainian friend asks me...

Ти говориш українською?

He, of course, is asking: Do you speak Ukrainian?

So I tell him: No, I speak English.

Ні. Я говорю англійською.

Slower: Я говорю англійською.

So how would you ask your friend: Do you speak English?

Ти говориш англійською?

Are you feeling comfortable with all this so far? Then let's do a quick review of the main constructions from the last lesson. Ask your friend:

Is this your company?

Це твоя компанія?

How will he say: No, it's not my company. But this is my office.

Ні, це не моя компанія. Але це мій офіс.

How do you say: I work in the company Samsung.

Я працюю в компанії Самсунг.

I work downtown.

Я працюю в центрі.

Ask a friend: Where do you work?

Де ти працюєш?

(swell)

Alright, so...let's see if you remember the phrases we started this lesson with. Say:

I speak Ukrainian.

Я говорю українською.

I speak English.

Я говорю англійською.

Ask your friend: You speak Ukrainian?

Ти говориш українською?

You speak English?

Ти говориш англійською?

Great! Now let's add our next new word. Can you guess what country this is?

Іспанія

Again? Іспанія

Can you figure out the meaning? Listen...

Добрий день, мене звати Рафаель. Я живу в Барселоні... це в Іспанії.

He said: Hello, my name is Rafael. I live in Barcelona. This is in Spain.

So, in English the country is called "Spain" and in Ukrainian they pronounce it Іспанія.

Notice there's that "ee-ya" ending. ія

So when we say "in Spain" it gets that long "ee" ending.

В Іспанії. (In Spain)

в Іспанії.

How would you say: I'm now working in Spain.

Я зараз працюю в Іспанії.

Now, if you asked Rafael what language he speaks, this is what he'd tell you:

Я говорю іспанською.

Ask your friend if he speaks Spanish.

Ти говориш іспанською?

So far so good? Now imagine someone has asked me what language Rafael speaks. Listen to my answer:

Рафаель говорить іспанською.

Rafael speaks Spanish.

Or I could've just said:

He speaks Spanish.

Він говорить іспанською.

This is a new verb form for us...or, to use the fancy grammar term, a new conjugation.

Imagine you're in Lutsk with your friend Jennifer. When you two meet your landlord, he gestures to Jennifer and asks you...

Does she speak Ukrainian?

Вона говорить українською?

Tell him: No. She's an Englishwoman.

Ні. Вона -- англійка.

Add: She speaks English.

Вона говорить англійською.

We'll work with this new conjugation a lot more in a moment.

Alright, back to biz. Pretend you're with your two friends --- Vlad and Rafael --- introducing yourselves to class on the first day of college.

My name is James. I speak English.

Мене звати Джеймс. Я говорю англійською

This is Vlad. He speaks Ukrainian.

Це Влад. Він говорить українською.

This is Rafael. He speaks Spanish.

Це Рафаель. Він говорить іспанською.

So let's apply this new verb ending to other verbs. Imagine you're with two English-speaking friends at a cafe in Lviv. As the only one in your group who speaks Ukrainian, you have to do all the ordering...

I'll have tea, he'll have coffee, and she'll have cappuccino.

Я буду чай, він буде каву, і вона буде капучино.

Did you hear that? Try saying it again:

Я буду чай, він буде каву, і вона буде капучино.

Let's try all three endings for that verb:

I'll have....you'll have....he'll have

Я буду ...ти будеш ...він буде

One more time:

Я буду ...ти будеш ...він буде

So say: I'll have borscht and she'll have the vinaigrette.

Я буду борщ і вона буде вінегрет.

You could also phrase your orders using the verb "want" so try saying:

I want a pizza and she wants a salad.

Я хочу піцу, і вона хоче салат.

Say that one more time:

She wants a salad.

Вона хоче салат.

So again, let's try all three verb endings for that:

I want....you want...she wants

Я хочу....ти хочеш....вона хоче

Ask your friend what she wants:

А що ти хочеш?

She says: Борщ.

So now tell the waitress: She wants borscht.

Вона хоче борщ.

How about the verb "to live"? Say: I live in Baltimore.

Я живу в Балтіморі.

Ask a friend: Where do you live?

А де ти живеш?

Now try saying: Rafael lives in Barcelona.

Рафаель живе у Барселоні.

Say that one more time:

Рафаель живе у Барселоні.

So here are those three conjugations. Say...

I live....you live....he lives...

Я живу... ти живеш... він живе

One more time?

Я живу... ти живеш... він живе

Tell someone: Mom lives in Kiev whereas Dad lives in Odessa.

Мама живе в Києві, а тато --- в Одесі.

Ok, so....How about the verb "to work"? Ask you friend where he works:

Де ти працюєш?

So, based on that, try saying: Tom works in London.

Том працює у Лондоні.

Say that one more time:

Том працює у Лондоні.

So, our three verb forms for "work" so far are:

I work....you work....she works

Я працюю....ти працюєш....вона працює

Let's try using just that "he, she" form for a bit. Introduce your friend, Say...

This is Michele. She is a Canadian.

Це Мішель. Вона -- канадка.

She lives in Toronto.

Вона живе у Торонто.

She is a lawyer.

Вона -- адвокат.

She works downtown.

Вона працює у центрі.

He'll have tea and crepes, please.

Він буде чай і млинці, будь ласка.

....and she wants caviar.

...і вона хоче ікру.

How did you do with all those? I probably sound like a broken record, but it needs to be said: If you got most of those, and if you're following along pretty well with all this, then you're doing awesome. Seriously. I mean, you now have mastered three of the six conjugations in Ukrainian...just by listening to some audio lessons.

Anyway, be sure to visit UkrainianMadeEasy.com for the downloads and keep those emails coming. My email address is: mark@UkrainianMadeEasy.com

Next time we'll learn to talk about the things we need. Until then, keep practicing!

Of course, please go to UkrainianMadeEasy.com to get the transcript and the audio downloads.