15 Greetings in Ukrainian

Were you thinking about how do Ukrainians greet each other on different occasions? Greetings are the first thing learners have to start their Ukrainian language journey with. So, let’s learn them together today!

Informal greetings

Приві́т!    Pryvit!

Hello!

Привіт! Як справи?    Hello! How are you?

The most common informal greeting. There are also different forms of this greeting: приві́тик (pryvityk), приві́тики (pryvityky), привіту́лі (pryvituli). These words are very casual diminutive forms of привіт, so be sure you are saying it only to your close friends. 😊

Informal and formal

До́брого ра́нку! Dobroho ranku! Good morning!

До́брий де́нь! Dobryi den! Good afternoon!

До́брий ве́чір! Dobryi vechir! Good evening!

Доброго ранку, кохана!    Good morning, honey!

These greetings are universal. You may use them to address the members of your family, friends, colleagues etc. And don’t forget to say one of them while entering somewhere: shops, cafes, banks, schools etc.

There are also shorten(ed) forms:

добри́день (dobryden), добри́вечір (dobryvechir).

(Я I) Віта́ю (vitaiu)

Welcome! | Greetings! | Congratulations!

We use вітаю as a formal greeting or as a congratulation on both official and casual occasions.

E.g.   Віта́ю тебе́ з днем наро́дження!

Happy birthday! (casual)

Віта́ю вас із днем наро́дження!

Happy birthday! (official)

Вітаю! Раді вас бачити.   Welcome! We are glad to see you.

Ласка́во про́симо!            Laskavo prosymo! Welcome!

With this greeting, we welcome someone for the first time. You will definitely see and hear this phrase during your first visit. In the communication, you can hear про́симо prosymo.

Less common. Regional.

Здорове́нькі були́!            Zdorovenki buly!

До́брого здоро́в’я!            Dobroho zdorov’ya!

Literally, we wish someone good health using these phrases. These are rather old greetings and used more in rural areas, but your friends would be glad to hear them from you since you wish them good health. Also, among young people, you can hear the slang word здоро́в.

Здра́стуй(те)!                       Zdrastuite!

We know it seems like a Russian greeting, but we sometimes use it as well. You can often see this greeting in the Ukrainian literature of the 19th century or earlier.

Сла́ва Ісу́!(Ісу́су Христу́)    Slava Isu! (Isusu Khrystu)

Наві́ки сла́ва!                      Naviky slava!

These phrases are used mainly in the Western part of Ukraine in Halychyna (wonderful Lviv is located there). It means “Glory to God (Jesus Christ)”, and the reply will be “Glory forever”.

Well, now you know almost all of the possible greetings. Maybe you heard more ways to greet someone; tell us in the comments. And don’t forget to use today’s phrases in your speech. Stay with us, and see you later in our new blogs!