Learning Ukrainian?

[Trenchcoat]

Ok thought I would post this question here as probably a bit relevant to new starters also. So assuming for a moment that perhaps Ukraine does not get invaded in which case I'm guessing everyone will be told to speak Russian, read Russian, Russian signs back again. Let's assume that doesn't happen and I go and live in Odessa under the present regime. My thoughts from discussion with Boethius was that she seemed to think that Russian is not widely used in Ukraine, that although they will understand it spoken correctly of course it's Ukrainian or version of Ukrainian with a few foreign words mixed in that Ukrainians speak. So would it be worth my while learning a bit if Ukrainian?

In the past I've learnt a but of Russian as its a catch all language for several nations including Russia. Plus they had many resources online to learn from. Ukrainian language used to be difficult to find resources on but checking just now more resources seem available than what were. So seeing that I am thinking of living there would it be a good idea to learn a bit of Ukrainian to fit in?

I think I would generally just be setting out to learn Ukrainian, I've no idea how to mix it with other languages other than my own apart from forgetting the Ukrainian word for something, possibly I might slip the Russian word in if I know it? Anyway just wondering people's thoughts in this here?

[Boethius]

No, I have never stated that Russian is not widely used in Ukraine.  It is.  However, all government documents are in Ukrainian.  Media is in Ukrainian.  But on the streets, you will hear surzhik.  Relatively few people in Ukraine speak "pure" Russian.  Sometimes, I believed the better half was the only person speaking pure Russian in all of Kyiv.


If you want to be a polyglot, Ukrainian is a better language to start with.  It's easier to learn both Russian and Polish if you know Ukrainian well.

[Trenchcoat]

No, I have never stated that Russian is not widely used in Ukraine.  It is.  However, all government documents are in Ukrainian.  Media is in Ukrainian.  But on the streets, you will hear surzhik.  Relatively few people in Ukraine speak "pure" Russian.  Sometimes, I believed the better half was the only person speaking pure Russian in all of Kyiv.


If you want to be a polyglot, Ukrainian is a better language to start with.  It's easier to learn both Russian and Polish if you know Ukrainian well.

Many thanks Boe, appreciate the information. I think I'll keep Ukrainian in mind to learn. I'm going to finish if the house first then devout some serious time to learning Russian better. Along with that I may try and learn some basic Ukrainian just for reference and see how that goes.

I mean my thoughts are that I will probably have to be in the country to really learn Russian or whatever to a conversational ability but of course need to get to a level where I can understand a bit more so I can then learn as I go a bit when immersed in the language.

[iloveukrayinkas]

I had been learning Ukrainian since 2017 in duolingo as they already had this language there to
learn, I was advancing quite well but then I quit because the app just had a glitch and wouldn't let
me advance to further levels. I continued my course in mid 2020 for about 8 or 9 months still in
duolingo but after visiting Ukraine I got discouraged as nobody I met there was actually using ukrainian.
So I took on Russian since like June Last year.
Now theyre saying the Russian language is going to be BANNED across the whole nation of Ukraine.
I'm not sure how they're gonna do that if most people there are Russian speakers as far as I know
but that's the news I got yesterday.
OK, stay positive!

[Boethius]

Most people under 30 in Ukraine can speak both Russian and Ukrainian.

I have seen in videos, soldiers saying if they survive the war, they will stop speaking Russian (in surzhik).

There has been a tendency to speak Ukrainian as a general “FU” to Putin.


I had no issues speaking Ukrainian in Kyiv and being answered in Ukrainian. My mother was in Crimea shortly before the invasion, and had no issues speaking Ukrainian there. But, we both speak fluently.

[Trenchcoat]

I had been learning Ukrainian since 2017 in duolingo as they already had this language there to
learn, I was advancing quite well but then I quit because the app just had a glitch and wouldn't let
me advance to further levels. I continued my course in mid 2020 for about 8 or 9 months still in
duolingo but after visiting Ukraine I got discouraged as nobody I met there was actually using ukrainian.
So I took on Russian since like June Last year.
Now theyre saying the Russian language is going to be BANNED across the whole nation of Ukraine.
I'm not sure how they're gonna do that if most people there are Russian speakers as far as I know
but that's the news I got yesterday.
OK, stay positive!

Thanks for the input ILU must be a real bummer after putting in all that effort into Ukrainian then start over in Russian only to hear they may stop using it over there. Kind of makes you wonder where to put your efforts. My guess is that Russian will probably still be the way to go for foreigners as even if they speak Ukrainian they'll still know Russian and will likely realise Ukrainian language is hard to come by for foreigners. Myself I've only been able to devout limited time to learning Russian, I find it's still more useful than nothing but will need to put a lot more time to it when I get more free time on my hands.

[Patagonie]

Most people under 30 in Ukraine can speak both Russian and Ukrainian.

I have seen in videos, soldiers saying if they survive the war, they will stop speaking Russian (in surzhik).

There has been a tendency to speak Ukrainian as a general “FU” to Putin.


I had no issues speaking Ukrainian in Kyiv and being answered in Ukrainian. My mother was in Crimea shortly before the invasion, and had no issues speaking Ukrainian there. But, we both speak fluently.

 
That's absolutely true. Even women now on their profiles publish them in Ukrainian.
So I don't know what Russia win in this war, but Russia will simply be banned in the future because less and less used.
For the guys who have learned Russian that's bad news.

[Trenchcoat]

 
That's absolutely true. Even women now on their profiles publish them in Ukrainian.
So I don't know what Russia win in this war, but Russia will simply be banned in the future because less and less used.
For the guys who have learned Russian that's bad news.

[krimster2]

Russian can be used in more places than Russia (even Ukraine)
can't say that about Ukrainian
Ukrainian speakers would still understand your Russian (gamburger/hamburger)
and more Russian learning material than Ukrainian fer ya'll to study

and if YOU-KRAINE ends up losing the war, what will they all be speaking then?

[ML]

Russian can be used in more places than Russia (even Ukraine)
can't say that about Ukrainian
Ukrainian speakers would still understand your Russian (gamburger/hamburger)
and more Russian learning material than Ukrainian fer ya'll to study

and if YOU-KRAINE ends up losing the war, what will they all be speaking then?

At some point down the road . . . the entire world will be speaking Chinese.

Get your grandchildren started now.

[krimster2]

Get your grandchildren started now.

that's still a few yrs away, "all my kids" need to finish their education first...
whenever a grandchild is born, it'll be a good excuse to send my wife to help for a couple of months!
and as fer me, PAR-TY, PAR-TY, all of the day and NIGHT!!
sheeeeeetttt....
I may even get so "wasted" that I'll set my chikens free
and there will be chikens
drivin cadillacs
to Washing Tun Dee Sea

[ML]

Your daughters and their husbands should start Chinese language lessons themselves.

Anyone under the age of 50 or so, should do so.

[2tallbill]

Ok thought I would post this question here

As a the notorious skin flint that you are. You should write Babblefish
and tell them that you are a Ukraine Refuge who Speaks Russian and
escaped to Blighty and now wants to learn English.

Babblefish is currently offering free language software to Ukrainian
refuges in any country.

You could probably learn a little bit of Russian by reverse osmosis

THEN offer English lessons to Ukrainian girls online using the FREE
software that Babblefish gives you. Shazaam, you spend zero kopecks
and help a young damsel in distress learn a few words of English