🥂 Small Talk & Social in Ukrainian
These are the 26 essential Ukrainian phrases for small talk & social, each with an English-friendly transliteration (stressed syllable in CAPS), the English meaning, and usage notes. Toasts, weather, compliments, and Будьмо! Hear native-style audio for every phrase in the free Slava app.
Будьмо!
BOOD-mo
Cheers! · lit. “let us be!”
💡 THE Ukrainian toast. Short, defiant, perfect.
Вітаю!
vee-TA-yoo
Congratulations!
Щасти!
shchas-TY
Good luck!
Побачимось
po-BA-chy-mos
See you around
Гарного дня
HAR-no-ho dnya
Have a nice day
Мені подобається
meh-NEE po-DO-ba-yet-sya
I like it
Це чудово
tseh choo-DO-vo
That's wonderful
Класно! informal
KLAS-no
Cool!
Дуже гарно
DOO-zheh HAR-no
Very beautiful
💡 For views, vyshyvankas, cities. Compliments land well here.
Гарна погода сьогодні
HAR-na po-HO-da syo-HOD-nee
Nice weather today
Сьогодні холодно
syo-HOD-nee KHO-lod-no
It's cold today
Сьогодні спекотно
syo-HOD-nee speh-KOT-no
It's hot today
Йде дощ
ydeh doshch
It's raining · lit. “the rain goes”
Йде сніг
ydeh sneeh
It's snowing
З днем народження!
z dnem na-RO-dzhen-nya
Happy birthday! · lit. “with the day of birth”
З Новим роком!
z no-VYM RO-kom
Happy New Year!
Все буде добре
vseh BOO-deh DOB-reh
Everything will be fine
💡 A phrase Ukrainians live by. You'll see it on walls, hear it everywhere.
Слава Україні!
SLA-va oo-kra-YEE-nee
Glory to Ukraine!
💡 The national greeting. The reply is «Героям слава!»
Героям слава!
heh-RO-yam SLA-va
Glory to the heroes!
💡 The answer to «Слава Україні!». Know both — you'll need both.
Молодець!
mo-lo-DETS
Well done!
💡 Said to one person. Praise from a Ukrainian grandmother tier.
Без проблем
bez prob-LEM
No problem
Звичайно
zvy-CHAI-no
Of course
Можливо
mozh-LY-vo
Maybe
Я жартую
ya zhar-TOO-yoo
I'm joking
Давай! informal
da-VAI
Come on! / Let's do it!
💡 The Swiss-army-knife of casual speech: agreement (“sure, let's”), encouragement (“come on!”), a toast nudge, even “bye” when hanging up the phone. Listen for it everywhere.
О Боже!
o BO-zheh
Oh my God!
💡 Everyday exclamation for surprise, delight or mild horror — no stronger than the English. Also heard as «Боже мій» (BO-zheh miy).
Practice these in the app — audio for every entry, quizzes, speaking practice and spaced repetition. Free, no account needed.
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