Learning a new language is always an exciting journey, and Ukrainian is no exception. As you advance from a beginner to an intermediate level, it’s essential to expand your vocabulary to facilitate more complex conversations and improve comprehension. This article aims to introduce you to some fundamental Ukrainian words and phrases that are crucial for intermediate learners. These words will help you navigate various social situations, express yourself more clearly, and understand native speakers better.

Everyday Vocabulary

At the intermediate level, you should be comfortable with basic vocabulary and ready to tackle more complex and nuanced words. Here are some essential everyday vocabulary words you should know:

Їжа (yizha) – Food
Напій (napiy) – Drink
Гроші (hroshi) – Money
Робота (robota) – Work
Дім (dim) – Home
Місто (misto) – City
Школа (shkola) – School

These words will help you discuss daily activities and essential needs more fluently.

Example Sentences

To understand how these words fit into sentences, let’s look at some examples:

– Я хочу їжі. (Ya khochu yizhi.) – I want some food.
– Ти маєш напій? (Ty mayesh napiy?) – Do you have a drink?
– Скільки це коштує? (Skil’ky tse koshtuye?) – How much does this cost?
– Я йду на роботу. (Ya ydu na robotu.) – I am going to work.
– Мій дім далеко. (Miy dim daleko.) – My home is far.
– Це велике місто. (Tse velike misto.) – This is a big city.
– Моя школа хороша. (Moya shkola khorosha.) – My school is good.

Expressions and Phrases

At an intermediate level, knowing individual words isn’t enough. You need to be familiar with useful expressions and phrases that are commonly used in everyday conversations. Here are some phrases that will enhance your conversational skills:

Як справи? (Yak spravy?) – How are you?
Все добре. (Vse dobre.) – Everything is good.
Що нового? (Shcho novoho?) – What’s new?
Дякую за допомогу. (Dyakuyu za dopomohu.) – Thank you for your help.
Будь ласка. (Budʹ laska.) – Please/You’re welcome.
Мені це подобається. (Meni tse podobaetsya.) – I like it.
Я цього не розумію. (Ya tsoho ne rozumiyu.) – I don’t understand this.

These phrases are great for everyday interactions and will make you sound more fluent and natural in conversations.

Example Sentences

Understanding these expressions in context is crucial. Here are some example sentences:

– Привіт, як справи? (Pryvit, yak spravy?) – Hi, how are you?
– Все добре, дякую. (Vse dobre, dyakuyu.) – Everything is good, thank you.
– Що нового у тебе? (Shcho novoho u tebe?) – What’s new with you?
– Дякую за допомогу з домашнім завданням. (Dyakuyu za dopomohu z domashnim zavdannyam.) – Thank you for your help with the homework.
– Будь ласка, проходьте. (Budʹ laska, prokhodʹte.) – Please, come in.
– Мені подобається ця книга. (Meni podobaetsya tsya knyha.) – I like this book.
– Вибачте, я цього не розумію. (Vybaychte, ya tsoho ne rozumiyu.) – Excuse me, I don’t understand this.

Descriptive Words

Being able to describe people, places, and things in more detail is a significant step forward in language learning. Here are some descriptive words that will help you add more detail to your conversations:

Гарний (harnyy) – Beautiful
Старий (staryy) – Old
Новий (novyy) – New
Великий (velykyy) – Big
Малий (malyi) – Small
Швидкий (shvydkyy) – Fast
Повільний (povilʹnyy) – Slow

Example Sentences

Here are some sentences that include these descriptive words:

– Вона дуже гарна. (Vona duzhe harna.) – She is very beautiful.
– Це старий будинок. (Tse staryy budynok.) – This is an old house.
– У мене нова машина. (U mene nova mashyna.) – I have a new car.
– Це велика проблема. (Tse velika problema.) – This is a big problem.
– У мене маленька кімната. (U mene malenʹka kimnata.) – I have a small room.
– Він дуже швидкий. (Vin duzhe shvydkyy.) – He is very fast.
– Ця черепаха повільна. (Tsya cherepakha povilʹna.) – This turtle is slow.

Verbs and Actions

Verbs are the backbone of any language. At the intermediate level, you should expand your knowledge of verbs to include those that describe more specific actions and states. Here are some essential verbs:

Розуміти (rozumity) – To understand
Говорити (hovoryty) – To speak
Читати (chytaty) – To read
Писати (pysaty) – To write
Думати (dumaty) – To think
Знати (znaty) – To know
Працювати (pratsyuvaty) – To work

Example Sentences

Here are some sentences that include these verbs:

– Я розумію тебе. (Ya rozumiyu tebe.) – I understand you.
– Вона добре говорить англійською. (Vona dobre hovorytʹ anhlijsʹkoyu.) – She speaks English well.
– Він любить читати книги. (Vin lyubytʹ chytaty knyhy.) – He loves to read books.
– Я пишу листа. (Ya pyshu lysta.) – I am writing a letter.
– Ми думаємо про майбутнє. (My dumayemo pro maybutnye.) – We are thinking about the future.
– Ти знаєш його? (Ty znayesh yoho?) – Do you know him?
– Вони працюють разом. (Vony pratsyuyutʹ razem.) – They work together.

Connecting Words

To form more complex sentences, you need to be familiar with connecting words or conjunctions. These words help you link ideas and create more nuanced statements. Here are some essential connecting words:

І (i) – And
Але (ale) – But
Тому що (tomu shcho) – Because
Якщо (yakshcho) – If
Хоча (khocha) – Although
Тому (tomu) – Therefore
Або (abo) – Or

Example Sentences

Here are some sentences that include these connecting words:

– Я люблю каву і чай. (Ya lyublyu kavu i chay.) – I like coffee and tea.
– Він розумний, але ледачий. (Vin rozumnyy, ale ledachyy.) – He is smart but lazy.
– Я вчу українську, тому що це цікаво. (Ya vchu ukrayinsʹku, tomu shcho tse tsikavo.) – I am learning Ukrainian because it’s interesting.
– Якщо ти прийдеш, ми підемо в кіно. (Yakshcho ty priydesh, my pidemo v kino.) – If you come, we will go to the cinema.
– Хоча вона молода, вона дуже мудра. (Khocha vona moloda, vona duzhe mudra.) – Although she is young, she is very wise.
– Він втомився, тому він пішов додому. (Vin vtomyvsya, tomu vin pishov dodomu.) – He was tired, therefore he went home.
– Ми можемо піти до парку або до музею. (My mozhemo pіty do parku abo do muzeiu.) – We can go to the park or the museum.

Pronouns

Pronouns are crucial for making your sentences less repetitive and more fluid. Here are some pronouns you should know at the intermediate level:

Я (ya) – I
Ти (ty) – You (singular, informal)
Він/вона/воно (vin/vona/vono) – He/She/It
Ми (my) – We
Ви (vy) – You (plural or formal)
Вони (vony) – They
Себе (sebe) – Oneself

Example Sentences

Here are some sentences that include these pronouns:

– Я люблю музику. (Ya lyublyu muzyku.) – I love music.
– Ти добре співаєш. (Ty dobre spivayesh.) – You sing well.
– Він працює у банку. (Vin pratsyuye u banku.) – He works at a bank.
– Вона вчиться в університеті. (Vona vchytsya v universyteti.) – She studies at the university.
– Ми подорожуємо разом. (My podorozhuyemo razem.) – We travel together.
– Ви знаєте дорогу? (Vy znayete dorohu?) – Do you know the way?
– Вони допомагають один одному. (Vony dopomahayutʹ odyn odnomu.) – They help each other.
– Вона думає про себе. (Vona dumaye pro sebe.) – She thinks about herself.

Numbers and Quantifiers

Understanding numbers and quantifiers is crucial as you become more advanced. Here are some numbers and quantifiers you should know:

Один (odyn) – One
Два (dva) – Two
Три (try) – Three
Чотири (chotyry) – Four
П’ять (p’yatʹ) – Five
Декілька (dekilʹka) – Several
Багато (bahato) – Many

Example Sentences

Here are some sentences that include these numbers and quantifiers:

– У мене є один брат. (U mene ye odyn brat.) – I have one brother.
– Вона купила два яблука. (Vona kupyla dva yabluka.) – She bought two apples.
– Він має три книги. (Vin maye try knyhy.) – He has three books.
– В кімнаті чотири стільці. (V kimnati chotyry stilʹtsi.) – There are four chairs in the room.
– Ми побачили п’ять птахів. (My pobachyly p’yatʹ ptakhiv.) – We saw five birds.
– У мене є декілька друзів. (U mene ye dekilʹka druziv.) – I have several friends.
– Вони мають багато грошей. (Vony mayutʹ bahato hroshey.) – They have a lot of money.

Adverbs

Adverbs help you describe how actions are performed. Here are some useful adverbs for intermediate learners:

Швидко (shvydko) – Quickly
Повільно (povilʹno) – Slowly
Добре (dobre) – Well
Погано (pohano) – Badly
Завжди (zavzhdy) – Always
Часто (chasto) – Often
Рідко (ridko) – Rarely

Example Sentences

Here are some sentences that include these adverbs:

– Він бігає швидко. (Vin bihaye shvydko.) – He runs quickly.
– Вона ходить повільно. (Vona khodytʹ povilʹno.) – She walks slowly.
– Він грає на піаніно добре. (Vin hraye na pianino dobre.) – He plays the piano well.
– Вона говорить погано. (Vona hovorytʹ pohano.) – She speaks badly.
– Ми завжди їмо разом. (My zavzhdy yimo razem.) – We always eat together.
– Вони часто подорожують. (Vony chasto podorozhuyutʹ.) – They travel often.
– Він рідко спізнюється. (Vin ridko spiznyuyetsya.) – He rarely is late.

Prepositions

Prepositions are small but essential words that help you describe relationships between different elements in a sentence. Here are some crucial prepositions for intermediate learners:

На (na) – On
В/у (v/u) – In
Під (pid) – Under
З (z) – With
Без (bez) – Without
Поруч (poruch) – Next to
Перед (pered) – In front of

Example Sentences

Here are some sentences that include these prepositions:

– Книга на столі. (Knyha na stoli.) – The book is on the table.
– Вона в кімнаті. (Vona v kimnati.) – She is in the room.
– Кіт під ліжком. (Kit pid lizhkom.) – The cat is under the bed.
– Я йду з друзями. (Ya ydu z druzʹyamy.) – I am going with friends.
– Вона пішла без мене. (Vona pishla bez mene.) – She left without me.
– Він сидить поруч зі мною. (Vin sydytʹ poruch zi mnoyu.) – He is sitting next to me.
– Машина перед будинком. (Mashyna pered budynkom.) – The car is in front of the house.

Conclusion

Mastering these words and phrases will significantly improve your ability to communicate effectively in Ukrainian. Remember, practice is key. Try to incorporate these words into your daily conversations and writing exercises. The more you use them, the more natural they will become. Happy learning!