Lesson 20 - Ukrainian Made Easy

Welcome to UME Lesson 20. If you remember our mid-term exam, back in Lesson 10, you played the role of interpreter, translating the Ukrainian you heard into English. Today we'll take it a step further, having you translate back and forth between the languages. So, imagine you're in a sports bar in Kiev with your friend Jason. There's a Ukrainian couple sitting nearby and so you decide to introduce yourself.

Hello, my name is Anton. And what's your name?

Добрий день. Мене звати Антон. А як Вас звати?

Here's how the Ukrainian guy replies:

Мене звати Влад. Але... давай на «ти», добре?

He said his name was Vlad, but then he said something we haven't encountered yet. It was a three-word phrase. Listen again...

давай на «ти»

We'll officially learn that phrase in a future lesson, but just for now, know that it's an invite to speak informally. Remember, when asking, А як Вас звати? you're speaking formally, politely. But this guy wants to speak casually. So tell him: Informally? Ok.

На «ти»? Добре.

Then Vlad asks:

Ти --- англієць?

Yes, I'm an Englishman.

Так. Я --- англієць.

Say: I live in Liverpool but I work in Odessa.

Я живу в Ліверпулі, але працюю в Одесі.

Ask Vlad: And where do you work?

А де ти працюєш?

Тут, у Києві. У центрі. Я працюю в компанії Самсунг.

Hmm....His response started with a word that's new to this course. The word was: Тут

Here's a quick contextual phrase to help you get the meaning: Ever see one of those maps in a shopping mall. It has an arrow pointing to a red dot and it says, "You are Тут."

So, Тут translates as "here, in this location." So when you asked Vlad where he works, he said:

Тут, у Києві. У центрі. Я працюю в компанії Самсунг.

Here in Kiev. In the center. I work in the company Samsung.

Then he adds:

До речі, ти добре говориш українською, Антон.

So he said: До речі, you speak Ukrainian well, Anton.

До речі is a phrase that Ukrainians use to change the subject. In English we'd say, "By the way..."

It's two words: До / речі

Tell him: Thanks. And do you speak English?

Дякую. А ти говориш англійською?

He shakes his head:

Ні.

Vlad gestures to your friend Jason, who's watching soccer and asks you:

Хто це?

What's the asking?

Who is this?

Tell him: This is my friend Jason. He's a lawyer.

Це мій друг Джейсон. Він --- адвокат.

He's an American but now he lives in Kiev.

Він --- американець, але зараз він живе в Києві.

He works for Apple. Literally: He works in the company Apple.

Він працює в компанії Еппл.

Now you point to the girl next to Vlad who's talking on her cellphone and ask him:

And who's this?

А хто це?

Це Наташа.

Ask: Is she your female friend?

Вона твоя подруга?

Ні, не подруга. Вона моя дівчина.

No, not a female friend. She is my дівчина.

You saw them holding hands earlier, so he must be saying, She's my girlfriend. And he is. Though it's interesting to note that the word дівчина more accurately means "girl" or "young woman." So he's saying, "She is my girl," literally.

Вона моя дівчина.

Say the word one more time:

дівчина

Vlad then asks:

А у тебе є дівчина?

And at you there is a girlfriend?

Of course, in normal English we'd say: And, do you have a girlfriend?

Tell him: Yes. She's now in Odessa.

Так. Вона зараз в Одесі.

(music)

We've encountered four new words in this mid-term so far. Let's see if you remember them.

What was the three word invitation to speak informally?

давай на «ти»

You don't have to worry about mastering that, because it's better if the native speaker makes the suggestion to speak informally. For now we just want to recognize it when we hear it.

Then we heard: Тут

Imagine your Ukrainian friend is giving you a walking tour of her city. You ask her:

Where do you work?

Де ти працюєш?

Stopping in front of a bank she points to it and says:

Я працюю тут.

So she's saying: I work here.

In a cafe, ask the waitress: Is there Wi-Fi here?

Note the word order: Here there is Wi-Fi

Тут є Wi-Fi?

Then we heard:

до речі

Imagine your roommate comes home from shopping. You tell her about your work day and then you remember that her mom called. You say, "до речі, your mom called. She wants to know if we're coming over for dinner."

So, до речі is a phrase Ukrainians use to introduce a new topic. Imagine you've been chatting with your friend in her apartment. It suddenly occurs to you that her mom isn't there. Ask her:

By the way, where is your mom?

До речі, де твоя мама?

Finally we learned the word: дівчина

A girl you're just friends with is your подруга, whereas a girl you're dating is your дівчина.

Say: She is my girlfriend.

Вона моя дівчина.

Back to the exam. When we left the conversation with Vlad, he had just introduced us to his дівчина, Natasha. So let's skip ahead in time just a bit. Vlad and Natasha have stood up and are putting on their coats. He's gesturing for you and your friend Jason to do the same, and follow them out. He says...

Пішли!

Which means? Let's go!

Ask him: Where to?

Куди?

He says:

В кафе. Я хочу їсти.

Which means?

To a cafe. I want to eat.

Tell him: To a cafe? Okay.

В кафе? Добре.

In the cafe now, Vlad greets the waitress as she approaches:

Добрий день.

She replies: Добрий день. Що Ви хочете?

As I noted at the bottom of the PDF for lesson 7, a waitress in reality is more likely to take your order by asking: Що Ви бажаєте? But for our purposes, let's stick with the simpler:

What do you want?

Що Ви хочете?

Anyway, Natasha tells the waitress:

Я буду чай і млинці з медом.

That was: I'll have tea and pancakes ...з медом . We'll have to pay attention to what the waitress brings her, to see what that means. Meanwhile, the waitress repeats Natasha's order:

Чай і млинці з медом.

The waitress turns to Vlad.

А Вам?

Wait! What's she asking?

Whereas for you?

And he tells her:

Я буду омлет і капучино, будь ласка.

What did he say?

I'll have an omelet and cappuccino, please.

Uh-oh, now it's your turn. Can you think of what you might say? Hit pause and ponder...

(music)

Greet the waitress, and then ask her: Is there salad?

Добрий день. Є салат?

She says...

Так. Є вінегрет і є грецький салат.

Tell her: Ok. I'll have the vinaigrette, please.

Добре. Я буду вінегрет, будь ласка.

The waitress turns towards Jason and says...

А Вам?

Inform the waitress: He doesn't speak Ukrainian.

Він не говорить українською.

Say: He'll have the borscht.

Він буде борщ.

Vlad turns towards you and asks....

Антон, хочеш ікру?

What did he ask?

Anton, want caviar?

In four words, tell him: No thanks. (I) don't want.

Ні, дякую. Не хочу.

Tell him: I don't like caviar.

Lit: To me not pleasing....

Мені не подобається ікра

Vlad then asks: А пиво?

Say: "пиво"? What is this?

Пиво? Що це?

And Vlad explains....

Ну, Хайнекен, Будвайзер, Корона...або Оболонь .

Say: Yes, yes....I like beer.

Так, так ... мені подобається пиво.

Say: Okay, I'll have a Corona, please.

Добре, я буду Корону, будь ласка.

Did you say "Корону" with an "у" sound, by the way? If so, please give yourself an A+ for the course. But let's keep going. Listen to what Vlad asks the waitress:

Скажіть... тут є Wi-Fi?

Something.....here is Wi-Fi?

Try saying just those last three words. Ask:

Is there Wi-Fi here?

Тут є Wi-Fi?

The waitress tells him:

Так, є.

Vlad thanks her as she walks off...

Дякую.

He then takes out his phone to use the Wi-Fi but his screen is blank. It seems his battery died. He says...

Блін! Мені потрібен інтернет, але мій телефон не працює.

Hmm....He said, "Dang! To me is necessary the internet but my telephone isn't working!"

Блін, funny enough, is a Ukrainian curse word. It's not a bad word, though. It's like saying "dangit." No one's going to be offended.

Блін!

Anyway, just for practice, try repeating Vlad's last phrase. Say...

I need the internet but my phone isn't working.

Мені потрібен інтернет, але мій телефон не працює.

He then asks you: У тебе є телефон?

Do you have a phone?

You shake your head, but then add....

Jason has.

Literally: At Jason there exists.

У Джейсона є.

As dinner winds down, Vlad suddenly asks you...

До речі, Антоне... Тобі подобається джаз?

** Did he say, "Антоне?" yes. Please read the PDF NOTES at the bottom...**

By the way, Anton...Do you like jazz?

Say: Yes, I love jazz, blues, and rock.

Так. Я люблю джаз, блюз і рок.

Vlad says:

Добре. Значить... пішли до джаз-клубу.

Ok....Значить.....let's go to a jazz club.

But Natasha complains:

В джаз-клуб? Але я хочу танцювати!

To a jazz club? But I want to dance!

Vlad turns to you: Є проблема.

(There's a problem.)

Ask him: She wants to dance?

Вона хоче танцювати?

Так, вона хоче танцювати.

Yes, she wants to dance.

(music)

Alright! Fantastic job....of course on finishing this exam, but really for making it all the way through Volume 1 of this course. It says something about a person when they can choose a goal and stick with it to the end. Of course, in some ways this was only the beginning. Up next, in the first lesson of Volume II, we're going to talk about our family and friends as we begin to tell our story.

Go to: www.UkrainianMadeEasy.com to find out more about Volume II!

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