LingoflyFood and drink in Ukrainian
175 words in Ukrainian on the topic “food and drink”: кава (kava) — coffee, чай (chai) — tea, вода (voda) — water, хліб (khlib) — bread.
175 words on the topic
- каваkavacoffeeFeminine, like "la cafe" would be. The cafe itself is kavyarnya — a word hanging on every second door in Kyiv.
- чайchaiteaA word shared across half the planet. With tea is z chayem — the with-form does the "with".
- водаvodawaterStress on the last syllable: vo-DA. Sparkling is hazovana voda, still is bez hazu — "without gas".
- хлібkhlibbreadSaid "khlib" — the i is the tight vowel. A bakery is pekarnya, from "to bake", and fresh bread is svizhiy khlib.
- молокоmolokomilkStress on the last syllable this time: moloKO. At the market fresh-from-the-cow milk is sold as sire — "gray" milk, unchilled and unstirred.
- питиpytyto drinkThe present tense wears an apostrophe at every step: piyu, piyesh, piye. Vypity is "to drink up, finish" — the completed counterpart.
- сирsyrcheeseSpelled and sounded the way you would guess — one of the rare zero-effort words. Cheese and bread is the classic quick dinner.
- мʼясоmiasomeatThe apostrophe between m and ya marks that little glide: m-yaso. Writing it without the apostrophe is simply a spelling error.
- рибаrybafishAt the market they sort it two ways: richkova ryba, "river fish", and morska, "sea fish" — the adjectives do the sorting.
- салатsalatsaladThe summer salad of tomatoes and cucumbers is just salat — no fancy name. The word and the dish are both everyday items.
- супsupsoupThe famous borscht is technically a sup too — and it is the first line of most menus. Said exactly as spelled.
- сільsilsaltSaid "sil" — one tight syllable. The soft sign at the end is real and written, marking a gentle finish.
- їстиyistyto eatThe letter yi is a two-sound "yee": "yees-ty". Present: yim, yisy, yist. And "there is" in the sense of existing is a different word entirely — ye.
- яблукоyablukoappleStress on the first syllable: YA-bluko. The apple tree is yablunya — the fruit and the tree share a root, as in English.
- цукорtsukorsugarBez tsukru, "without sugar", is the most-used phrase in any kavyarnya. A candy is tsukerka — same root, smaller thing.
- смачноsmachnotastyFrom smak, "taste, flavor" — a cousin of "smack" and "smacking one's lips". Duzhe smachno is what you tell the host after dinner.
- сніданокsnidanokbreakfastMorning food is usually bread and milk — simple. Na snidanok, "for breakfast", is the phrase the menus use.
- обідobidlunchThe main meal of the day, around one or two, soup first. One letter shorter than anything you might guess — obid.
- вечеряvecheriasupperClose to vechir, the evening, but vecherya is the meal. One ending moves dinner an hour later.
- жуватиzhuvatyto chewZhuvaty looks and sounds like its job — chewing gum is zuvalna humka, built from the same root.
- ковтатиkovtatyto swallowCousin of English "gullet" — the gulping word. Vazhko kovtaty, "it is hard to swallow", is the sentence you say to a doctor.
- апетитapetytappetiteThe international word. At the table people wish you Smachnoho! — "tasty!" — and appetite stays quietly off the menu.
- шматокshmatoka pieceShmatok khliba — a piece of bread — the pair you will say most. Its small cousin shmatochok shrinks it to a bite.
- запахzapakhsmell, scentZapakh kavy — the smell of coffee — reaches you before the cup does. The word is its own; anchor it on that morning.
- маслоmaslooilCovers any oil, including sunflower. For butter you specify "vershkove maslo" — from "vershky", cream. Bread with butter...
- картопляkartopliapotatoNot recognizable at first glance — learn it whole. "Kartoplia fri" is fries, and the borrowing settled in comfortably.
- борошноboroshnoflourLearn the pair "boroshno — khlib", flour and bread: once the pair stands together, the logic shows itself.
- медmedhoneyReal honey, sold at every market here. Tea with honey: "chai z medom" — a phrase for cold season.
- горіхиhorikhynutsOne nut is a "horikh", many are "horikhy" — a regular plural. Bread with nuts, as in the example.
- цибуляtsybuliaonionLearn the kitchen pair "tsybulia — chasnyk", onion and garlic — they walk through every recipe together.
- моркваmorkvacarrotThe root "mork-" is shared with its English cousin — one consonant apart. Carrots in the soup.
- перецьperetspepperSoft sign in the middle: perets. Black pepper is "chornyi perets" — the spice, not the vegetable.
- квасоляkvasoliabeansRoot kin to "kvashenyi", fermented — beans as the thing that gets soured. An old food word with its own logic.
- спеціїspetsiispicesAlways plural, sitting on the shelf above the stove. Spices in the cupboard, "spetsii v shafi".
- готуватиhotuvatyto cookWorks exactly as expected: "hotuvaty vecheriu" — to cook supper. "Hotuvsia!" — get ready! — same verb.
- митиmytyto wash"Myty posud" — wash the dishes; "myty ruky" — wash your hands. Same verb, same construction, no surprises.
- ніжnizhknifeThe plural is regular: "nozhi". The knife is dull, "nizh tupyi" — a kitchen complaint in one phrase.
- варитиvarytyto boil"Zavaryty kavy" — to brew coffee — the prefix works just like English. I am boiling soup.
- смажитиsmazhytyto fryFrying potatoes: "smazhyty kartopliu".
- пектиpektyto bakePresent tense: "pechu, pechesh" — the vowel shifts mid-word, just where you would guess. She bakes bread.
- різатиrizatyto cutPresent: "rizhu, rizhesh" — the middle consonant softens, same trick as in plakaty. Cut the onion!
- каструляkastruliapot (cooking)The everyday pot on the stove, one word for every size. A big one is a "velyka kastrulia".
- сковородаskovorodafrying panThe diminutive skovoridka is the everyday form at home. In the western regions the same pan answers to patelnia — accents differ even in the kitchen.
- плитаplytastoveThe same word serves for the kitchen stove and a concrete slab — context does all the work, like English "range/slab".
- тарілкаtarilkaplateA deep plate is a "hlyboka tarilka" — and that word, deep, is transparent too. A clean plate.
- чашкаchashkacupA cup of tea: "chashka chaiu" — the tea takes its little case after it. Otherwise as expected.
- склянкаskliankaglass"Sklianka vody" — a glass of water — an everyday phrase of the household. Related to "sklo", glass the material.
- ложкаlozhkaspoonA teaspoon is a "chaina lozhka" — same build as English. The spoon is in the cup.
- виделкаvydelkaforkIts own word — nothing in it resembles anything you know, so learn it whole. The pair "nizh i vydelka" lives in one drawer.
- пляшкаpliashkabottle"Pliashka vody", a bottle of water — the shop phrase. The shape of the word even suggests a plump little bottle.
- серветкаservetkanapkinA paper napkin is a "paperova servetka". Traveled the same route through the same languages as its English cousin.
- чайникchainykkettleElectric or stovetop, one word covers both. The kettle is on the stove, "chainyk na plyti".
- тацяtatsiatrayA short borrowing that traveled through Polish from a German cup-word. Flat, with handles, and nothing like its English cousin in sound.
- гарячийhariachyihotThe h is a voiced throaty sound, deeper than English h. The soup is hot — "sup hariachyi".
- холоднийkholodnyicoldThe perfect partner of hariachyi — one pair, two words, the whole temperature story. The water is cold.
- голоднийholodnyihungryOne vowel away from cold — listen closely. "Ya holodnyi", I am hungry, is a perfectly polite thing to say in a cafe.
- смакsmaktaste"Smachno" means tasty — smak is its parent noun. "Smakota" is the warm word for deliciousness.
- солонийsolonyisaltyFrom "sil", salt. The soup is salty — "sup solonyi".
- кислийkyslyisourA phrase worth remembering: "yabluka tut kysli", "the apples here are sour". A lemon is sour, naturally.
- гіркийhirkyibitterCoffee without sugar is "hirka". The h is the deep throaty one.
- гострийhostryispicyOne word for a sharp knife and a hot sauce — exactly the double duty of "sharp", and the same mix-ups happen.
- ситийsytyifull (having eaten)The polite refusal of seconds: "Diakuiu, ya sytyi" — thank you, I am full. Works at every table.
- куштуватиkushtuvatyto taste (food)Food gets kushtuvaty, attempts get probuvaty: the mouth and the endeavor go by different verbs here.
- менюmeniumenuNeuter and international. Ask "Mozhna menu?" — "may I have the menu?" — a simple, everyday request.
- офіціантofitsiantwaiterCall politely with "Vybachte!" — excuse me — and the waiter comes. The word itself is the same international one.
- замовленняzamovlenniaorderFrom "zamovliaty", to order — the order is the ordering, a built noun. Same logic in ordering a taxi.
- замовитиzamovytyto orderOne verb for a dish and a taxi: "zamovyty stravu", "zamovyty taksy". I want to order a taxi.
- страваstravadish (food)Its own word — covers a dish and food in general. A potato dish: "strava z kartopli".
- порціяportsiiaportionEnds in iia, like komisiia and other Latin arrivals. Half of it is pivportsii — the little piv- prefix halves anything edible.
- столик на двохstolyk na dvokhtable for twoLiterally "little table for two" — "dvokh" is the "of" form of two. A table for two, please.
- десертdesertdessertThe same borrowed word, same sweet meaning. Dessert after the soup, as in the example.
- без мʼясаbez miasawithout meatAfter "bez", without, the noun takes the "of" form — the same pattern as its English cousin phrase. A salad without meat.
- тортtortcakeThe international word, and a neuter one: tse tort. A slice is a shmatok torta — a chunk of cake, and shmatok is a livelier word than its English cousin.
- макарониmakaronypastaPlural-only like the Italian original, and it covers pasta generally, not just macaroni. A single strand is makaronyna — a word people actually joke with.
- йогуртyohurtyogurtSpelled with yo at the start and stressed on it: YO-hurt. A drinking yogurt is pitnyi yohurt — "drinkable yogurt", the label says it straight.
- вершкиvershkycream (for coffee)The main dairy-counter trap: cream is vershky, from "top" — what you skim off the top of the milk. Sour cream stays smetana, unmoved.
- морозивоmorozyvoice creamFrom moroz, "frost": ice cream is "the frosted thing". A scoop is a kulka morozyva — a little ball of it — and the noun is neuter.
- шоколадshokoladchocolateOne l, stress on the end: shokolAd. Dark chocolate is temnyi shokolad — the phrase on every wrapper reads almost like English.
- печивоpechyvocookiesFrom pekty, "to bake": pechyvo is "the baked stuff", neuter, and it gathers everything small and baked — from fancy cookies to plain crackers.
- яловичинаyalovychynabeefThe meat-counter trap: yalovychyna is beef, from an old word for a young cow. Meats are built with the same -yna suffix all down the counter.
- баранинаbaranynamuttonThe meat pattern is animal plus -yna: baran, "a ram", gives baranyna. Pork and chicken words are built the same way — the counter reads itself.
- креветкиkrevetkyshrimpsOn the menu like you expect, but grammatically feminine: krevetka, krevetky. Gender matters the moment an adjective has to agree with dinner.
- виноградvynohradgrapesCollective singular — "the grapes" as one substance. A single berry is a vynohradyna, a bunch is a hrono, and both live next door in the same market stall.
- огірокohirokcucumberThe plural is transparent: ohirky. A pickled cucumber is a solonyi ohirok — "salty cucumber", no special word, because the jar speaks for itself.
- капустаkapustacabbageSauerkraut is kvashena kapusta — "fermented cabbage" — winter food of the region. Cauliflower splits it literally: tsvitna kapusta, "flower cabbage".
- часникchasnykgarlicA clove is a zubchyk chasnyku — a "little tooth of garlic", the same toothy image as English "clove". Add two of them to the pot and the kitchen announces dinner.
- гарбузharbuzpumpkinThe great vegetable false friend: harbuz is pumpkin, not watermelon — the word for watermelon is kavun. Mix them up and your autumn soup becomes a summer dessert.
- баклажанbaklazhaneggplantMasculine, almost the international word. In casual speech people also call it synenkyi — "the little blue one" — after its color, the affectionate nickname of the vegetable.
- лимонlymonlemonStress on the second syllable: limOn. Lemonade is limonad — an international pair that asks nothing of you.
- кавунkavunwatermelonA word with no cousin in Western Europe — it comes, like the berry itself, from further east. Melon stays dynia; the two split the summer fruit stand peacefully.
- полуницяpolunytsiastrawberryPolunytsia is the everyday word for the garden strawberry. Wild woodland strawberries are sunytsia instead — the two words differ by only one letter, so the boundary between garden and forest matters here.
- грушаhrushapearSame word for the fruit and the tree. The pear is sweeter than the apple — solodsha za iabluko — and that comparison pattern will follow you everywhere.
- персикpersykpeachOne s, masculine. The plural persyky is what you will actually need at the market stall: a kilogram of peaches, please.
- рецепт стравиretsept stravyrecipeStrava is the dish; retsept is the same word a doctor uses for a prescription. The second noun sits in the of-form: retsept stravy.
- почистити овочіpochystyty ovochito peel vegetablesFrom chystyty, "to clean", with the po- prefix wrapping it up. Vegetables here are ovochi — short, frequent, and worth knowing before the first salad.
- кипʼятитиkypiatytyto bring to a boilThe apostrophe after p is not decoration: it snaps the syllables apart, kyp-ia-TY-ty. The liquid boils on its own — kipyty — you bring it to the boil.
- перемішатиperemishatyto stirFrom mishaty, "to mix", with pere- as the finisher. A mixer is a mIkser — the borrowed word slots right into the family.
- посолитиposolytyto add saltFrom sil, "salt" — note the vowel trade: i inside the noun, o inside the verb. To oversalt is the same verb with peres- bolted on front.
- розігрітиrozihrityto heat upRoz- in front and an i inside the root — both visible next to hrity, "to warm". For a gentle reheat the prefix switches to pidi-.
- остудитиostudytyto coolBuilt on studyty, "to chill" — the same root that hides in zastuda, "a common cold". When food cools by itself, a different verb shows up.
- збити яйцяzbyty yaitsiato beat eggsFrom byty, "to beat or hit": eggs are literally beaten, the same kitchen violence as English. The process is zbyvaty, the finished fluffy result is zbyty.
- додати водиdodaty vodyto add waterA case trap: not "add the water" but "add of-water" — the "of" form means "some". Same trick with salt: dodai soli. A little of, not the whole thing.
- смажити на гриліsmazhyty na hrylito grillTo fry is smazhyty — and the beloved toast "smachnoho" is its cousin: what is fried right is tasty. The grill itself is a hryl, borrowed and proud.
- термін придатностіtermin prydatnostiexpiration dateLiterally "term of suitability": termin is a time limit, pridatnist is fitness for use. On packaging look for "Pridatne do" — "good until".
- зіпсувавсяzipsuvavsiawent badFrom psuvaty, "to spoil", with zi- bolted on front. The same verb ruins a mood — spoilage, of cheese or of a day, is one word.
- банкаbankajarA jar of jam is a banka varennia — glass, with a lid. A tin can is a bliashanka, different word, different material, same shelf.
- добавкаdobavkasecond helpingFrom dohavaty, "to add": a second helping is an addition. In a cafeteria you ask "mOzhna dohavku?" — can I have some more — and it always works.
- із собоюiz soboiuto take away (food)Literally "with yourself": the cafe asks "Here or to take?" — Na mistsi chy z soboiu? The takeaway answer is two small words and a gesture toward the door.
- без цукруbez tsukruwithout sugarAfter bez comes the "of" form, always: bez tsukru, bez moloka, bez miasa. Tsukr is sugar — a word that traveled far to get here, like the sweetness did.
- я вегетаріанецьya vehetarianetsI am a vegetarianThe person suffix -ets marks the man of the species; a woman switches the tail and says vehetarianka. Note the plain i mid-word.
- смачногоsmachnohoenjoy your mealOne word instead of a whole sentence: Smachnoho! — literally "may it be tasty" — from smak, "taste". Said before every meal, even to strangers at the next table.
- жирна їжаzhyrna yizhafatty foodFrom zhyr, "fat". Zhyrnyi about food is fatty; about a person you say tovstyi — and it sounds blunter than it does in careful English. Izha, "food", starts with the yi vowel.
- цукеркаtsukerkacandyFrom tsukor, "sugar": a little sugar-thing. A chocolate candy is shokoladna tsukerka, and sweets in general are solodoshchi — one word for the whole candy dish.
- національна страваnatsionalna stravanational dishStrava is a dish both in a restaurant and at a feast. The national classics are borsch and varenyky, and salo is never eaten without bread — that too is the cuisine.
- вулична їжаvulychna yizhastreet foodFrom vulytsia, "street". A stall is kiosk, and at a fair the offer is varenyky and shashlyk — names that travel from language to language untranslated.
- свининаsvynynaporkBuilt with the -yna suffix from the animal, exactly like its cousins baranyna and yalovychyna in this course. Feminine noun.
- курятинаkuriatynachicken (meat)The bird on the farm is kurka; what lands on the plate gets its own meat-word, kuriatyna. The -tyna tail is the regular marker for "meat of".
- качатинаkachatynaduck (meat)Built with the same -tyna tail as the chicken word: the bird is kachka, the dish is kachatyna. Animal on the farm, meat-word on the menu.
- фаршfarshground meatA word borrowed from German: meat run through the grinder, whatever the dish.
- шинкаshynkahamArrived through Polish from German — no recognizable anchor for an English speaker, so memorize it. Next to it on the counter sits kovbasa, "salami, sausage".
- сосискаsosyskasmall sausageA word-shaped freebie: it means exactly the small boiled sausage you think, and the plural is sosysky, no surprises in the ending.
- тунецьtunetstunaSaid "tunets" — the -ets tail does the naming. In a can it is tunets u bantsi, the beloved salad-tuna of every kitchen.
- лососьlosossalmonSpelled about as expected, with stress on the end: losoS. The fish stays masculine in this word, whatever other fish do.
- креветкаkrevetkashrimpA warm-sea word that traveled north unchanged. The plural is krevetky — one shrimp, many krevetky, like the English pair.
- морепродуктиmoreproduktyseafoodWritten solid, from more, "sea", plus produkty, "products". Always plural, never a singular item on the plate — the menu lists it as a set.
- сливаslyvaplumThe plural is slyvy — the tight i-vowel where you might expect another letter. Otherwise the word is a freebie.
- малинаmalynaraspberryThe word for the berry and the plant is one — and Ukrainian tea cabinets always have a jar of malyna for colds.
- диняdyniamelonDo not mix it up with kavun, "watermelon" — dynia is the orange-fleshed melon. Both are feminine.
- гранатhranatpomegranate (fruit)The same shape as the word for the garnet gemstone — both named for their matching red. The juice is hranatovyi sik, and the seeds have a small word of their own, zerniata.
- ананасananaspineappleThe world seems to agree on this word — masculine here too. A rare case of full agreement everywhere at once.
- мандаринmandaryntangerineMasculine, the winter fruit — the adverb vzymku, "in winter", fits right into its company.
- ківіkivikiwiForeign and unchangeable: smak kivi, dva kivi — the word never takes an ending. Two i-letters in a row is normal here, not a typo.
- авокадоavokadoavocadoNeuter and unchangeable: stygle avokado, bez avokado — one frozen shape whatever the sentence does around it.
- родзинкиrodzynkyraisinsPlural only — Ukrainian counts the little grapes one by one, rodzynka by rodzynka. No relation to any English word; memorize it.
- інжирinzhyrfigMasculine. In southern dialects the same fruit goes by smokva, but the standard word is inzhyr — the one on labels and in shops.
- солодкий перецьsolodkyi peretsbell pepperThe vegetable is called "sweet" — and often "Bulgarian" — to keep it apart from perets the spice. Order by the adjective and you will not get chili.
- кабачокkabachokzucchiniThe same word once also named a small tavern — same root, different door. In the kitchen it is the green summer squash.
- бурякburiakbeetA word of its own, sharing nothing with English. No borscht happens without it — the deep red base of the national soup is this humble root.
- редискаredyskaradishA freebie word. The joke "what a redyska you are" for a rude person works here too — the vegetable moonlights as an insult.
- зеленьzelenfresh herbsZelenyy is the color green, but the market herb bunch — dill and parsley together — is zelen, a noun of its own.
- кріпkripdillA short word with no English relative — dill is krip, full stop. Do not confuse it with skrip, which is about staples and clips.
- петрушкаpetrushkaparsleySounds like a name, and the name is a coincidence — in the kitchen it is just the soup herb. No apostrophe needed.
- імбирimbyrgingerMasculine, with the tight i-vowel in the first syllable. In tea: chay z imblyurom — the ending slides as usual.
- кукурудзаkukurudzacornLonger than expected by one dz in the middle: kukurudza. Drop it and the word falls apart — keep the buzz.
- шпинатshpynatspinachLetter for letter the international word; masculine here. Sorrel is a different plant entirely — shchav — do not merge them.
- булкаbulkabread rollThe everyday single roll, bought fresh by the piece: odna bulka, dvi bulky. A round loaf of bread is palianytsia
- пирігpyrihpieWith i in the closed syllable: pyrih, but the of-form gives the vowel back — pyroha. A small pie is a pyrizhok, the diminutive you will meet in bakeries.
- тістечкоtistechkopastryA diminutive of tisto, "dough" — the little individual pastry in the display case is exactly this sweet little word.
- пампушкаpampushkagarlic bunA round little bun, classically rubbed with garlic and served beside borscht. This one is savory; sweet pampushky with jam are a different dish.
- випічкаvypichkabaked goodsFrom pekty, "to bake" — a collective word for everything in the bakery case, rolls and cookies together. A category, not a single thing.
- джемdzhemjam (thick)A borrowing for the firm, spreadable kind. Ukrainian varenya is the looser home-cooked fruit in syrup — a different jar altogether.
- сиропsyropsyrupMasculine, spelled as expected. The same word covers drink concentrate — the stuff you dilute with water at a cafe.
- попкорнpopkornpopcornThe English word, settled in comfortably. A native description exists — smazhena kukurudza, "fried corn" — but nobody orders it that way.
- чипсиchypsychipsPlural only, like the snack itself. The "of" plural is chypsiv — with the tight i where you might pencil in another vowel.
- жуйкаzhuikachewing gumFrom zhuvaty, to chew — the action is right in the noun. Say it at a kiosk and you get gum; the wrapper may print a longer, more official version.
- лимонадlymonadlemonadeFor Ukrainians this is first of all the homemade lemon drink of summer, not a bottle from a factory. Same word, cozier meaning.
- мінеральна водаmineralna vodamineral waterTwo n-letters in mineralna — its partner hazovana has only one. Learn the pair as a unit and the spelling takes care of itself.
- газована водаhazovana vodasparkling waterOne n only: hazovana. Still water is nehazovana — plain ne- turns the fizz off.
- коктейльkokteilcocktailBorrowed from English with a soft tail on the end and only one spelling to remember. A milk one is molochnyi kokteil — the sweet, nonalcoholic order.
- какаоkakaococoaUnchangeable, like its English twin: kakao ye, bez kakao. Brewed on milk, it is the evening drink of children everywhere.
- розчинна каваrozchynna kavainstant coffeeRozchynna is "dissolvable", from rozchynyty, "to dissolve" — the honest adjective for instant coffee. It stands before the noun and agrees with it.
- чайний пакетикchainyi paketyktea bagPaketyk is the small cousin of paket, "bag", with an affectionate tail. The brew itself is zavarka and the pot is chainyk — the whole tea kit in three words.
- окріпokripboiling waterNo relative of "boil" here — okrip must be learned whole. It scalds exactly like boiling water; haryacha voda is merely hot.
- алкогольalkoholalcoholMasculine, as international as words get. Without it is bezalkoholniy — the same prefix family doing the negating.
- напійnapiibeverageWith i in the closed syllable: napii, but the plural gives the vowel room — napoi. Built on the verb pyty, "to drink", so the family resemblance is easy to see.
- шматочокshmatochoka little pieceShmatok is "a piece"; the double-ch diminutive shrinks it to a bite. The first word you will hear at the cake counter.
- скибкаskybkaa sliceA word of its own: skybka is a thin slice cut off bread or a melon. The bigger unhurried slab has a shorter name, skyba — slice and slab, one family.
- часточкаchastochkaa clove (segment)The small form of chastka, "a share, a portion": a clove of garlic is literally a little share of the head. Lemons and garlic both come apart into them.
- дрібкаdribkaa pinchFrom driibnyi, "fine, small": a pinch is by definition a small thing. English builds its word from the pinching fingers; this one from smallness itself.
- жменяzhmeniaa handfulA word of its own, sharing no letters with English. A double handful is pryhorshtia — the hand itself, horst, sits inside the bigger word.
- ковтокkovtoka mouthfulFrom kovtaty, "to swallow". Kovtok vody, kovtok chaiu — a swallow of water, of tea — always with the "of" form.
- пучокpuchoka bunch (of herbs)The same shape as the English word for a small bundle of stalks tied together. Puchok kropu — a bunch of dill — is the standard green-grocer order.
- півкілоpivkilohalf a kiloWritten solid, from piv, "half", plus kilo. Neither half bends: pivkilo stays in one rigid shape, just like the kilo it halves.
- півлітраpivlitrahalf a literRecognizable in parts: piv, "half", plus the borrowed "liter". Written solid and with no hyphen, unlike the English habit; litra is the of-form the borrowed word takes.
- вистачитьvystachytthat is enoughFrom stachyty, to suffice, with the vy- prefix on top. Its neighbor dosyt says "enough" as a quantity — this one says stop, the measure has been met.
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How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
What is worth knowing about these words
кава (kava) — coffee. Feminine, like "la cafe" would be. The cafe itself is kavyarnya — a word hanging on every second door in Kyiv.
чай (chai) — tea. A word shared across half the planet. With tea is z chayem — the with-form does the "with".
вода (voda) — water. Stress on the last syllable: vo-DA. Sparkling is hazovana voda, still is bez hazu — "without gas".
хліб (khlib) — bread. Said "khlib" — the i is the tight vowel. A bakery is pekarnya, from "to bake", and fresh bread is svizhiy khlib.
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “coffee” in Ukrainian?
Feminine, like "la cafe" would be. The cafe itself is kavyarnya — a word hanging on every second door in Kyiv.
- How do you say “bread” in Ukrainian?
Said "khlib" — the i is the tight vowel. A bakery is pekarnya, from "to bake", and fresh bread is svizhiy khlib.
- How do you say “cheese” in Ukrainian?
Spelled and sounded the way you would guess — one of the rare zero-effort words. Cheese and bread is the classic quick dinner.
- How do you say “salad” in Ukrainian?
The summer salad of tomatoes and cucumbers is just salat — no fancy name. The word and the dish are both everyday items.
- How do you say “to eat” in Ukrainian?
The letter yi is a two-sound "yee": "yees-ty". Present: yim, yisy, yist. And "there is" in the sense of existing is a different word entirely — ye.
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
A menu, a market, a shop sign, the question “what is this?”. Food is the most frequent subject of the first weeks and the safest excuse to start talking.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- Study spread over days wins not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “coffee” in Ukrainian?
«кава» (kava), read “kava”. Feminine, like "la cafe" would be. The cafe itself is kavyarnya — a word hanging on every second door in Kyiv. It is one of 175 words in the set “food and drink” — the rest are in the table above.
How many food words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 175 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.