Learning Ukrainian from scratch. What is the easiest way to learn Ukrainian quickly? It is important to understand that when reading

Is it difficult to learn Ukrainian on your own?

Let's briefly analyze how to learn the Ukrainian language on your own. It is easy for native speakers of Russian, Belarusian, Polish, Slovak and so on to learn. Because they are similar in grammar, pronunciation, and semantics. For English speakers, for example, the learning process can take years. Especially if we are talking about learning Ukrainian on your own.

In order to learn the Ukrainian language on your own, you need to turn to three pillars of learning:

• lessons with a tutor;
• self-study: reading, watching movies and writing something in Ukrainian;
• communication with native speakers.

The process of learning Slavic languages ​​for foreigners, as well as for those who want to be fluent in their native language, is not possible without a tutor. No video tutorials or tons of books can replace a person who can always explain what your problems are. Moreover, a tutor is a system for a person. This is control. In moments of weakness, laziness and “that’s it” you will always have a motivator. Optimal time and frequency of classes: 2-3 times a week for 1-2 hours / lesson.

The question of how to quickly learn the Ukrainian language most often arises among those who want to switch from Russian to Ukrainian. Therefore, today we have collected for you the most effective methods for quickly learning Ukrainian. If you have resolutely approached this issue, contact a specialist: a Ukrainian language tutor, Kyiv and other cities. Of course, in addition to this, you need to work on your own.

The first and most important rule to make speaking Ukrainian easier: speak! Do not be afraid that “I have imperfect Ukrainian speech, I will be laughed at!”. Believe me, if someone mocks you, that you put the stress incorrectly or pronounced not a Ukrainian word, but a tracing paper from Russian, this person is not worthy of your communication. Don't even think about paying attention to him. A polite and intelligent person will tell you what your mistake was. And it will be sincerely with the aim of making you better! This brings up the second rule:

Another one from the “I will be laughed at” series is the “excuse” that you have a Russian-speaking family. Now think. You have moved to the USA or Germany. Will you also speak Russian and not English or German because you have a Russian-speaking family? The answer is obvious. Do not forget completely Russian. You can communicate further with your family in a language that is convenient for them. And with everyone else in Ukrainian. This is, by the way, very common. The family is a fairly small unit of society. Those who surround you during the day influence you more - all the inhabitants of your city. In Ukraine, there really are such cities where everyone speaks Russian and not a word in Ukrainian. Well, dear friend, you have a chance to become a hero. You will be the first to set the right example for the entire city. You start with your friends, and they start with theirs and off they go. Before you have time to look back, everyone is already talking like a nightingale. You will all go to Ukrainian language lessons together.


After all, it is stupid to live and speak a language other than your own due to certain circumstances, just because you are ashamed. It's just plain embarrassing! Well, what really, probably our descendants will be even more ashamed that their language has died because we are ashamed in front of a friend!

The Ukrainian language, it's not just like that, it's a culture! And you, for successful study, you need to surround yourself with it. No, you don’t have to wear an embroidered shirt every day and eat only borscht with donuts, Ukrainian culture is modernity!

Create a Ukrainian-speaking environment for yourself. Start by building up a passive vocabulary. Just read books in Ukrainian, watch your favorite TV shows in Ukrainian, translate your phone/social networks and so on into Ukrainian. Everywhere on websites, media, etc. choose Ukrainian. Then start speaking Ukrainian. The easiest way to do this is with strangers. Because relatives will start: “Ohooo, yes, you have become a patriot ...”. There will be surprise, friendly jokes and so on. And you may lose heart. Try to speak Ukrainian at the checkout / with the operator / in the minibus. Then with those with whom they were unfamiliar / saw people a couple of times. And so on knurled. You yourself will not notice how it will become a habit. You will begin to speak Ukrainian in everyday life. We recommend that you meet new people who are “experienced” interlocutors in Ukrainian. Take a walk and talk a few times. You will notice the effect immediately.

And again, be sure to read in Ukrainian! We have prepared for you a selection of modern books written in beautiful Ukrainian:

1. “Lviv. Kava. Love”
Authors: Natalka Gurnitska, Galina Vdovichenko, Dara Korniy, Viktoria Hranetska, Nika Nikalenko, Tetyana Belimova

2. “Bitch Daughter”
Valentina Masterova

3. “Tattoo. Reading through the eyes”
Vyacheslav Vasilchenko

4. “Happy people read books and drink kava”
Marten-Lugan Agnes

5. “I, you and our malovaniye and nemalovaniye God”
Tetyana Pakhomova

6. "Nerve exposed"
Svitlana Talan

7. “Black doshka”
Natalya Dolyak

Reading in Ukrainian, especially fiction, has a good effect on the spoken language. In the subconscious, words, phrases and whole sentences are deposited that can be successfully used in communication. After all, the Ukrainian language is difficult for beginners because you need to accustom yourself to think in it. After all, if you constantly translate from Russian into Ukrainian in your head, your speech will be slow and unnatural. To make it easier to think in Ukrainian, start writing. Chat with friends on social networks, write posts, letters, essays, a book (why not) in Ukrainian. A couple of months of this practice will help you develop thinking in Ukrainian. You will speak better and learn grammar.

be patient

And this is perhaps the most difficult rule. Learning Ukrainian can take a lot of time. It all depends on the individual, his initial level and the availability of a tutor. Which, of course, helps to learn Ukrainian much faster. On average, it takes 1-2 months to master spoken Ukrainian perfectly. In order to learn all the rules of spelling and other things, on average, 4-7 months. In principle, in six months it is really possible to learn everything.

A Ukrainian language teacher is an integral person in your language learning journey. No video tutorials, heaps of books and communication with a native speaker will replace a teacher. A Ukrainian language tutor is someone who can guide you, correct you and support you when you decide you don't need it. It is a system and control. This is an expert and assistant. Don't treat him like a teacher at school. In fact, now there are a lot of modern methods for learning the Ukrainian language. You'd be surprised how different this is from the lessons that many of us didn't like or understand. But let's not forget about self-improvement. Therefore, in addition to books, we offer you a selection of applications for learning the Ukrainian language:

TOP 5 Ukrainian language learning apps

4. Ukrainian library
The app can be downloaded for Android.
More than 2200 works in Ukrainian, more than 100 authors and the versatility of the application makes you read books in Ukrainian every day!


Useful materials:
- History of the Ukrainian language

Free registration in 10 minutes

Lessons in person or via Skype

Payment directly from the student

Since the time of Euromaidan, the use of the Ukrainian language among the citizens of Ukraine has become a trend and a sign of patriotism.

“A language disappears not because it is not taught by others, but because it is not spoken by those who know it”- these words of the Spanish politician Jose-Maria Artze scattered on social networks as a call to communicate in their native language. Speaking Ukrainian has become not just a fashion, but a necessity for many conscious citizens. However, for the majority, psychological barriers and fears have become an obstacle. Here are some tips on how to start speaking Ukrainian in a Russian-speaking environment, and most importantly, how to speak correctly.

These tips are universal and can help you master any foreign language.

one . Get rid of fears

Most Ukrainians who did not dare to switch to their native language in communication find the same excuses. But these are all myths that are easily debunked.

- "I don't speak Ukrainian well, and I don't want to spoil it." No nation in the world has a literary version of its native language. Even the inhabitants of Western Ukraine do not speak pure Ukrainian.

- "I speak Russian since childhood, my family is Russian-speaking." Imagine that with the same conviction you would try to live, for example, in the USA. Would you continue to speak Russian?

- "It's a dead language, no one in my city speaks Ukrainian." Well, you have a chance to become a pioneer and set a good example for the rest of your countrymen.

2. Create a Ukrainian-speaking environment

Start with passive accumulation of Ukrainian vocabulary. Watch movies and series with Ukrainian dubbing, read Ukrainian-language press and listen to Ukrainian music. Set up your computer, program interface and social networks in Ukrainian. When accessing various sites, making payments, select the Ukrainian language in the interface.

3. write in Ukrainian

4 . Talk to strangers

The psychological barrier is easiest to overcome if you start speaking Ukrainian primarily with strangers: in a store, transport, on the street. Be prepared that your speech will seem terrible to you, but only practice and time will help you establish yourself in the language.

five . Start talking in everyday life

When you start speaking Ukrainian at home and at work, be prepared to explain the reason for this change. Tell family and friends about your position and ask them to support you in this endeavor. Remember, Russian-speaking Ukrainians understand you perfectly, even if they address you in Russian. Practice has proven that even native Russians understand Ukrainian, if you speak slowly. Be prepared to feel how difficult it is to maintain such a dialogue, because during a conversation people automatically use each other's words. We must learn not to lose vigilance. Better speak slower, but in Ukrainian.

6. Find experienced interlocutors

It is important not only to speak, but to speak correctly. To do this, it is important to have an interlocutor who will become an example for you. Listening to his language, it will be easier for you to answer in Ukrainian. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and ask for unfamiliar words. So you quickly enrich your vocabulary.

7. Be patient

In order to not only speak fluently, but also think in Ukrainian, you will need about a year. But during this period you will need breaks. Don't be afraid to take a week or a month off and try again later.

8 . Free Ukrainian language courses

Those who are not able to learn the language on their own should sign up for free Ukrainian language courses, which are available in many cities of Ukraine. Here you will definitely find like-minded people and constant Ukrainian communication!

We will start this lesson by studying the Ukrainian alphabet, Ukrainian letters. It should be noted that the Ukrainian alphabet is slightly different from the Russian one. Some letters differ from Russian in pronunciation, while others differ in spelling.

There are new letters in the Ukrainian alphabet:

Ї, ї - read as a sound (yi) or (ji), formed by the merger of two sounds (th) and (and),

Є є - reads like a sound (ye) or (je), like the Russian letter e,

Ґ ґ - reads like the Russian letter g.

At the same time, the Ukrainian letter is pronounced differently than the outwardly similar Russian letter i.

And, and in the Ukrainian language is read approximately like Russian ы.

І, і - should be pronounced like Russian i.

Pronounce the Ukrainian letter E, e, close in sound to Russian e.

Ukrainian G, g is pronounced softly, like the g in the words aha (aha) and oho,

Ukrainian h sounds harder than Russian.

In the Ukrainian language there is an apostrophe - a separating solid sign, denoted in writing in the form of a superscript comma ", which is almost never found in Russian.

And now let's repeat all this in the table: Ukrainian alphabet

G, g
Ґ, ґ
Her
Є, є
And, and
І, і
Ї, ї sound Russian correspondence
(h) - soft g
(G)
(uh)
(je) like Russian e
close to (s)
(And)
(ji)

Otherwise, the pronunciation of Russian and Ukrainian letters is practically the same. But it should be remembered that all letters in the Ukrainian language are always read the way they are written. The unstressed vowel o is pronounced clearly, that is, o should always sound like o, but not like a. The same applies to the letter g. Unlike the Russian language, it is always read as g (h) even at the end of adjectives in the genitive case.

And now let's get busy. Pronounce the Ukrainian letter r. We pronounce it as r sounds in South Russian dialects softly, slightly towards the sound x, or as r sounds in the words aha (aha), oh (oho). Say these two words, repeat them. Did you feel the sound of the Ukrainian g? Wonderful. Now try to pronounce any words with the letter g, but pronounce this letter in Ukrainian. Fall in love with this soft sound filled with the beauty of the Ukrainian land. Let it be your sound. Love him as something closest. Practice its pronunciation throughout the day among your family. May they love it too.

Have you already started exercising? Fine! And if you pronounce all the letters clearly in accordance with their spelling, that is, always pronounce o as o, r even at the end of adjectives like r (your (your), distant (far), Ukrainian (Ukrainian)), Russian (Russian) and softly, you are already speaking with a Ukrainian accent. Try to pronounce whole sentences like this.

Wonderful! Your pronunciation is close to perfect. Soften your e a little. Do you remember how it is written in Ukrainian? Of course, e. And now, more softly and with a higher timbre, try to pronounce the Ukrainian letter and (corresponds approximately to Russian s), that is, it should sound, unlike Russian s, a little closer to the Russian letter u (Ukrainian i). Have you imagined how Ukrainian and (corresponds to Russian s) sounds? Then let's pronounce this beautiful sound together. That's right! A little softer and higher in timbre than the Russian s. Yes, yes, a little closer to Russian and. Well done! But if you really can’t do anything with Ukrainian and just pronounce it like Russian s, you won’t be much mistaken. Now read the Ukrainian words: Hryts (hryts), hryvnia (hryvnya), burn (hory), hands (hands), pokie (poke).

And now try to fall in love with the most beautiful Ukrainian sound, which is denoted by the letter ї. It's easy to pronounce. Connect two sounds: sound (s) and sound (s). Get (yi) or (ji). Is it really easy? Repeat several times. Let's pronounce this sound in words:

Ukraine (Ukraine), Kiev (Kyiv), її (yyy), їzhak (yizhak), їsti (yists).

How is your Ukrainian and? Soft? And g? Do not forget that we pronounce g as in the word aha? Fine! You learned the letter ї without difficulty. In the word Kiev at the end, do not pronounce f, as in the Russian version, but v, as it is written. Pronounce this v at the end of the word a little closer to the sound y, somewhere between v and y. It always sounds like this at the end of a word:

Pishov (pishov), know (know), robiv (robyў), bachiv (bachyў).

Constantly practice pronunciation of all the above and any other words, you can even Russian, but pronounce them in Ukrainian.

As a homework task, we suggest you read and memorize a poem by the famous Ukrainian poet Alexander Oles about the long-suffering Ukrainian language, which, no matter what, will already sound loudly, in addition, we want to introduce you to the poem of our great Kobzar Taras Grigoryevich Shevchenko " Zapovit". You have already mastered the Ukrainian alphabet! Good luck!

How long have we been waiting for my will of the word,

I axis won't sleep, brinit.

Brinit - our mova is sleeping,

Charuє, hush and p'yanit.

For a long time they waited for me ... Uklin cholom people,

What will I bring my language to us,

Zberig in such a terrible disgrace,

If the wine itself does not stand for a moment.

(O. Oles)

REQUEST

If I die, then pooh

Me on the grave

Middle stepu wide

Dear in Ukraine,

Shchob doe wide-field,

I Dnipro, i steep

It was visible, it was barely,

Yak roaring roaring.

Yak carried from Ukraine

By the blue sea

I'm telling you blood ... go away

I doe, i burn -

I'll leave everything, i Polina

All the way to God

Pray... and before that

I don't know God.

Come on, get up

Tear Kaidani

I enemy evil blood

Sprinkle your will.

I am great in this,

In sim`ї free, new,

Don't forget to remember

Unstoppable with a quiet word.

In this article I will try to explain why it is worth learning the Ukrainian language if you do not know it, and why it should be improved if you do not speak it perfectly. And in one of the following articles I will tell you how and where to start learning this great and wonderful language.

1.Ukrainian music

Ukraine has given a huge number of musical masterpieces and brilliant performers. I think any further comments are simply superfluous, just a few examples from many will suffice.

2.Great Ukrainian literature

Here, I think, comments are also superfluous. Taras Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka - the list of great Ukrainian poets and writers is endless.

3.Ukrainian language is one of the most beautiful in the world

At the beginning of the last century, representatives from every nation gathered in Paris. The international jury held a contest of beauty and melodiousness of the languages ​​of the world. The beauty of the sound of languages ​​was evaluated. Representatives listened to texts in different languages. Ukrainian came in second
Here is what foreigners say about our language:
India. Shankar, programmer:
Ukrainian sounds very passionate and emotional. Your songs are very similar to ours. Very pleasant language
Congo. Kena, student:
I would compare the Ukrainian language with Ukrainian lard. It is just as soft and viscous, and at the same time strange and obscure to others - until you taste it. You swallow a piece of fat, it slides smoothly down your throat, softens the ligaments - and the output is a pleasant melodic sound. This is the secret of Ukrainian.
France. Mishka, tourism manager:
I love the Ukrainian language. It is very melodic and pleasant to the ear. Although I began to understand what the Ukrainians are talking about only after the 5th visit here. And I was able to communicate with my Ukrainian girlfriend in Ukrainian about six months later. Your language, like French, is very soft and made for love.
Pakistan. Irfan, athlete:
Although the meaning of the words remained a complete mystery to me, it always seemed to me that the Ukrainians were talking about something good. It seems that Ukrainian is very kind and gentle. I especially like it when women speak it, in general it is somehow more feminine in sound.
Spain. Cecilia, Spanish teacher:
Me and my husband really like the Ukrainian language. Especially now that after working in Kyiv we moved to Poland. Gotta say that Polish cannot be compared in terms of musicality and softness with Ukrainian, even though the Latin alphabet is much closer and more understandable to us. And I also noticed a huge similarity in the sound of Ukrainian and Spanish. So Ukrainian is easy for Spaniards, and vice versa. My English-speaking husband also likes Ukrainian much more than Polish or Russian: says it sounds softer and more pleasant.
Poland. Peter, sociologist:
Ukrainian sounds very close to me. So, as if several sounds were taken from Polish, such as “tso” and “psh”, and changed to guttural ones. It sounds very funny, like a mixture of Polish, Belarusian and Russian.
Italy. Gabriel, guide:
I like Ukrainian and it seems very melodic. I know Russian, so it's much rougher, and I like how many Ukrainian words sound in comparison with Russian. Ukrainian reminds me a lot of the Brazilian version of Portuguese, it is as soft and viscous as boss nova songs.
4.Ukraine and Europe

Relevant for adequate residents of the Russian Federation (others simply will not be allowed), Belarus, Kazakhstan, Georgia and other countries.
Ukraine has signed an association with the EU and will soon join it. Obtaining citizenship or a residence permit in Ukraine will make it possible to live in a state of law, without fear of bureaucratic or police arbitrariness, will give the opportunity to travel freely around Europe.
To obtain citizenship, it will be necessary to pass tests for knowledge of the Ukrainian language and history. So don't waste your time :)
5. Ukrainian language-Slavic language

And this means that knowing Ukrainian, you will be able to better understand Czech, Polish, Croatian, Bulgarian, and other languages, and you will be able to master these languages, if necessary, much faster than without knowledge of Ukrainian.
The simplest example :)

6.Ukrainian girls

The fact that Ukrainian women are the most beautiful in the world is known to many. Your chances of successfully meeting Ukrainian will increase many times over if you speak Ukrainian :)

7. You will be able to understand the majestic Ukrainian anthem
According to many, the Ukrainian anthem is among the top ten most popular, beautiful and solemn hymns. UNESCO recognized the Ukrainian anthem as the best in the world.

8. Bilingualism has a positive effect on intelligence

Bilingualism affects intelligence and protects against dementia

"Learning a second language can have a positive effect on the brain, even if learning began in adulthood, scientists from the University of Edinburgh found. Researchers have found that as a result of learning a second language, people have improved reading skills and speed in solving intellectual problems. Previous research has also shown that bilingualism (bilingualism) can delay the onset of dementia by several years. The strongest effect was found at the level of intellectual ability and improvement in reading skills. Positive effects were observed both in people who started learning a second language at a young age, and in those who started to do it later"

I fully agree with the scientists from Edinburgh, and I will add that in many respects due to bilingualism, Ukrainians are, on average, much smarter than Russians.

9. The Ukrainian language is the language of free people.

Ukrainian is spoken by those who rebelled against dictatorship and lawlessness, those who were not afraid to go against Putin's totalitarian system.

Learn languages ​​:)

Have you decided to master the Ukrainian language (Ukrainian language)? Commendable! After studying it, you will discover the spiritual world of more than 47 million speakers of this second most common Slavic language. You will have the opportunity to read in the original the masterpieces of the classics of Ukrainian literature: Ivan Kotlyarevsky, Taras Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka, Ivan Franko. The works of popular writers today - Lina Kostenko, Yuri Andrukhovych, Serhiy Zhadan, Oksana Zabuzhko, Maria Matios - will tell about the problems that worry the minds of today's Ukrainians.

And of course, knowing the language will make it easier for you to communicate with your contemporaries living in one of the largest European countries, and will help to mutually beneficial solution of emerging economic, cultural, and political problems.

According to Johann Wolfgang Goethe, you are as many times human as you speak languages. Perhaps, learning the culture of the Ukrainian people, you will be infected by the example of one of its brightest representatives - Agafangel Krymsky - a man of encyclopedic knowledge: a linguist, historian, ethnographer who owned (hard to imagine!) six dozen languages. And you will become a real polyglot in the future.

The roots of the Ukrainian language go back to the so-called Proto-Slavic linguistic unity (until the 6th century AD). Its specific features are manifested in the South Russian monuments of the 11th-12th centuries and the later period.

Difficulties in formation and development were due to the fact that the lands inhabited by Ukrainians were part of different states for many centuries.

From the end of the 18th century, a new Ukrainian literary language was born on a folk basis. The already mentioned Ivan Kotlyarevsky is considered its founder.

Today, native speakers of this language can be found all over the planet:

• in Europe (Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Belarus, Romania, Moldova, more recently Italy and Portugal due to labor migration);
• in Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russian Far East);
• in North America (million diasporas in Canada and the USA);
• in South America (Argentina, Brazil);
• in Australia.

Getting Started

First of all, the question arises: learning Ukrainian is better on your own Or with a teacher? Experience shows: if you learn from scratch, it is better to resort to the help of a teacher. If funds are scarce, a hybrid option can be advised: we start with a teacher, and having overcome the difficulties of the first stage with him, we continue to teach individually.

An example of a video lesson of the Ukrainian language.

We stock up on helpers

It is important to get as much as possible information sources:

• access to the official website of the Ukrainian language;
• teaching aids, primarily tutorials;
• dictionaries and phrasebooks;
• relevant educational materials on the Internet and social networks;
• Ukrainian TV channels;
• Ukrainian films and sound recordings.

Important nuances

In general, it is not as difficult for a Russian-speaking person to master Ukrainian as, say, for an Italian or Greek. After all, both languages ​​have a lot in common in vocabulary and grammar. However, there are certain features that may introduce confusing the student.

It is important to learn that when reading:

• the Russian letter “i” sounds like “ы” in Ukrainians;
• Russian "e" is read as "e";
• to display the Russian sound "e" in the Ukrainian alphabet, there is the letter "є";
• accordingly, the Russian "i" is written as "i".
• the letter "ї" missing in the Russian alphabet sounds like "yi";
• Russian "g", depending on the sonority, is displayed in writing with the letter "g" (muffled sound) and "ґ" - explosive.

Success Secrets

As in any other business, a positive result in learning a foreign language will be provided by systematic work, perseverance and patience. Develop a detailed training plan that includes the following steps:

• try every day to replenish your vocabulary with two to three dozen new words;
• master phraseological turns;
• speak Ukrainian aloud, record your speech on a tape recorder and listen to the recordings, paying attention to the mistakes made;
• read the Ukrainian press and publications on the Internet, as well as the literary works of the above-mentioned masters of the word;
• watch Ukrainian films, listen to broadcasts of Ukrainian radio stations;
• find an opportunity to communicate with native speakers from time to time, paying attention to the correct pronunciation of words.
• communicate with carriers in social networks.

Do not be discouraged if, after some time after the start of classes, your achievements in learning the Ukrainian language seem insufficient. Remember: holy pots are not molded. Keep working hard and you will definitely speak one of the most musical languages ​​in the world, which is not without reason called nightingale.

Video

The speaking alphabet will help children learn the Ukrainian language.