UKRAINIAN VOCATIVE CASE WITH EUROVISION SONGS

Are you a fan of Eurovision (Євробачення)?🎵 If yes — you’re not alone! Ukraine takes Eurovision very seriously (maybe that’s why we’ve already won three times?). The first semi-final is coming up on May 13, and this year’s representatives, Ziferblat, will be performing then!

So let's listen to their song (and others by Ukrainian contestants) and learn how to form the vocative case for feminine nouns — the case we use when directly addressing someone. Ready? Let’s go!

🎵 Ziferblat — Bird of Prey (2025)

⏳ 0:19

Зайде-зайдеш і до мене, моя пташко

(You will visit me too, my bird)

Крилами пісня злітає важка

(With wings, a heavy song rises)

Серденько, серце кохане, не турбуйся

(Darling, beloved heart, don’t worry)

Доля довірила світ останнім із нас.

(Fate entrusted the world to the last of us.)

From the first line, we learn our first vocative rule:

✅ Feminine nouns ending in -А change to -О in the vocative case. This pattern applies to hard stems:

пташка (bird) → пташко

✏️ Try it yourself:

Україна (Ukraine) → 

сестра (sister) → 

Олена (a name) → 

🎵 Kalush Orchestra — Stefania (Winner 2022)

⏳ 0:11

Стефаніє, мамо! Мамо Стефаніє!

(Stefania, mother! Mother, Stefania!)

Розквітає поле, а вона сивіє!

(The field blooms, and she turns grey)

Заспівай мені, мамо, колискову,

(Sing me a lullaby, mother)

Хочу ще почути твоє рідне слово!

(I want to hear your native word again!)

✅ Here we can see the word мамо, following the previous pattern: мама → мамо

✅ And we learn a new rule: 

Feminine nouns ending in -ІЯ change to -ІЄ in the vocative case: 

Стефанія → Стефаніє

✏️ Try:

Надія (Hope) → 

Франція (France) → 

Марія (a name) → 

✅ Another pattern to know

Feminine nouns ending in -Я (soft stem) change to -Е in the vocative. (But not diminutives — more on that in a moment.)

Example:

пісня (song) → пісне

✏️ Try:

письменниця (writer) →

воля (freedom) → 

доля (fate) → 

✅ Bonus rule!

If it’s a diminutive feminine noun ending in -Я, it usually changes to -Ю:

бабуся (granny) → бабусю

доня (daughter, diminutive) → доню

🎯 Congratulations!

Now you know how to form the vocative case for most feminine nouns. Of course, as with any Ukrainian grammar rule, there are always a few exceptions. But with this post, you’re well on your way to addressing everyone naturally!

Which vocative form do you find the most interesting? And have you picked your favorite Ukrainian Eurovision song yet? Let us know in the comments — and don’t forget to cheer for Ukraine this year!

✨ Answer key

Україна (Ukraine) → Україно

сестра (sister) → сестро

Олена (a name) → Олено

надія (Hope) → надіє

Франція (France) → Франціє

Марія (a name) → Маріє

письменниця (writer) → письменнице

воля (freedom) → воле

доля (fate) → доле