Getting around in Ukrainian
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet. Play the ten Ukrainian words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Ukrainian phrases in this lesson
- Де туалет?de tua-LET
- Where is the toilet?
- Як дістатися до...?yak dee-STAH-ty-sya doh
- How do I get to...?
- Ліворучli-VO-ruch
- To the left
- Праворучpra-VO-ruch
- To the right
- ПрямоPRYA-mo
- Straight ahead
- Тутtut
- Here
- Вокзалvok-ZAL
- Train station
- Автобусav-TOH-boos
- Bus
- Аеропортah-eh-roh-POHRT
- Airport
- Один квиток, будь ласкаo-DYN kvy-TOK bud LAS-ka
- One ticket, please
The most urgent sentence in any language. On doors you will see Ж (women, жінки) and Ч or М (men, чоловіки or мужчини). In cafes туалет is sometimes labeled "WC". Learn де туалет before you need it.
Directions come quickly in speech, but ліворуч, праворуч and прямо cover nearly every answer you will get. Watch the speaker's hands; they carry half the information and clarify everything.
Stress on VO. You will also hear the shorter "направо" (na-PRA-vo) and "наліво" (na-LI-vo) used interchangeably with праворуч and ліворуч in street directions.
Clean and simple. "Ідіть прямо" (i-DIT PRYA-mo), go straight, is what you will hear back from most direction-givers. If you hear "потім направо" (then turn right), you have understood enough.
Short and universal. Point down to mean right here. "Ось тут" (osh tut) adds emphasis, meaning right here, exactly here.
The main train terminal. Bus station is автовокзал (av-to-vok-ZAL) or автостанція (av-to-STAN-tsiya). In most cities the train and bus stations are near each other. Kyiv's main station is Центральний вокзал.
Квиток is the ticket. For a return ticket: "квиток туди і назад" (kvy-TOK tu-DY i na-ZAD), there and back. Online booking and the Ukrzaliznytsia app are widely used for intercity trains.