Chytach, nosylnyk, perukar: who does the doing
Ukrainian names people by their deed with three suffixes, and English -er, -or and -ist all land here. -Ach is the busiest: chytach reader, hliadach viewer, slukhach listener, vidviduvach visitor, vykladach teacher, trubach trumpeter. For example: “Читач повернув книжку вчасно” — The reader returned the book on time. A rule from the Ukrainian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Ukrainian names people by their deed with three suffixes, and English -er, -or and -ist all land here. -Ach is the busiest: chytach reader, hliadach viewer, slukhach listener, vidviduvach visitor, vykladach teacher, trubach trumpeter.
-Nyk / -ilnyk covers the trades: nosylnyk porter, robitnyk worker, pereviznyk carrier, zamovnyk client, prybyralnyk cleaner.
-Ar / -iar keeps the old crafts: perukar hairdresser, aptekar apothecary, bibliotekar librarian, shkoliar schoolkid, muliar bricklayer. No soft sign at the end of these: aptekar, full stop.
Women get -ka or -ytsia: chytachka, vchytelka, uchenytsia, spivachka, vidviduvachka. And one curiosity: muzyka with a masculine neighbor word is a musician; with a feminine one it is the music itself. The neighbor decides.
Table
| in English | in Ukrainian | the suffix |
|---|---|---|
| reader | chytach | -ach |
| porter | nosylnyk | -nyk |
| hairdresser | perukar | -ar |
| pupil (girl) | uchenytsia | -ytsia |
By example
- Читач повернув книжку вчасноThe reader returned the book on time
- Відвідувач чекає в приймальніThe visitor is waiting in the reception room
- Перукар працює за записомThe hairdresser works by appointment
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Chytach, perukar, uchenytsia: doer words?
Ukrainian names people by their deed with three suffixes, and English -er, -or and -ist all land here. -Ach is the busiest: chytach reader, hliadach viewer, slukhach listener, vidviduvach visitor, vykladach teacher, trubach trumpeter.
What does it look like in an example sentence Ukrainian?
“Читач повернув книжку вчасно” — The reader returned the book on time. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.