The Ukrainian language for beginners Level A1/A2
Authors
Khrystyna Styahar and Ali Alabdallah
With Audio
All Rights reserved to Salaam publishing house and Ali Alabdallah. This book may not be copied, published, distributed, or sold without the permission of the Salaam publishing house [Salaam förlag].
Salaam publishing house /Förlag Salaam
Malmö city 2025
https://www.salaamforlag.com
alimanabd1983@gmail.com
The Ukrainian language for beginners
ISBN: 978-91-531-3793-1
Voice: Ksenia Torkuva, Maryland, USA
2025 Ali Alabdallah, Salaam publishing house /Förlag Salaam
Book cover designed by Oksana Yunak.
If you have questions about ordering the book: Phone and WhatsApp
0046700977137
alimanabd1983@gmail.com
Malmö city Sweden
Print in Baltic JSC, Lithuania
• Foreword
Dear students,
Welcome to the Ukrainian Language for Beginners. We hope it will enable you to learn the Ukrainian language in an easy and effective way.
It is a language that has become a beacon of resilience and cultural identity. In the wake of recent events, understanding Ukraine’s language and culture is not just an academic pursuit but a manifestation of solidarity and an embrace of the rich heritage that has captivated the world’s attention.
This book, designed for beginners, is your companion to discovering the beauty of the Ukrainian language. You’ll begin your journey on an educational expedition from the very basics to the complexities that make Ukrainian a unique and fulfilling language to master.
But more than just reading and writing, this book is a companion in your conversation journey. It encourages speaking and listening through its structured audio resources, which you can easily access online for a truly immersive learning experience. As you navigate through each unit, your linguistic skills will evolve.
You will learn to construct sentences, ask questions, and express your thoughts in Ukrainian. By the end of this course, not only will you be able to engage in a basic dialogue, but you will also have a deeper understanding of Ukrainian culture and values.
This book covers essential topics for beginners:
- The Cyrillic alphabet, paving your way from А to Я.
- Basic interactions, ensuring you can meet and greet with confidence.
- Family and geographical bearings, connecting with people, and their origins.
- Colors and numbers.
- Time, days, and months, so you can plan and share experiences.
- Food and adjectives.
- Home and clothes, to discuss the everyday things that surround us.
- Work, hobbies, and health, to share and care about everyday life.
- Grammar and verbs.
This carefully structured book is designed to build your language skills in a gradual, engaging, and effective way. Through listening exercises, speaking practice, and writing activities, you will gain the confidence to use Ukrainian in various real-life situations. By learning Ukrainian today, you become a voice for a nation, a storyteller of its narratives, and an ambassador of its enduring culture. This book is your gateway to becoming part of a broader conversation, one that spans beyond borders and opens doors to new possibilities. Embrace the challenge, enjoy every breakthrough, and let’s weave the rich tapestry of the Ukrainian language together.
Warm regards 2025 Ukraine , Sweden
Unit 1
The Ukrainian alphabet
Read and listen
There are 33 letters in the Ukrainian language, 10 of them are vowels: 5 hard vowels and 5 soft vowels.
Hard vowels: А [a], Е [e], И [y], О [o], У [u]
Soft vowels: І [i], Ї [yi], Є [ye], Ю [yu], Я [ya]
Consonants :
Letter
[y] y
ee
yi
[y] yot
[k] ka
[l] el
[m] em
[n] en
[ɔ] o
[p] pe
[r] er
[s] es
[t] te
[u] u
[f] ef
[h] ha
[t ͡s] tse
Audio guide
• You will see all the audio files when you scan the QR code on your mobile.
• You can access the files on Google Drive.
• You can download the files to your phone.
• Enjoy listening!
The recording begins with an arrow indicator. with start page 49
Send me an email if you have any problems with scanning: Alimanabd1983@gmail.com
Recorded voice: Ksenia Turkova, Maryland, USA
The letter «А» is pronounced as [a], similar to the «a» in the English word «father».
Ананас [ananas] pineapple
а [trava] grass Аптека [apteka] pharmacy
Газета [hazeta] newspaper
Банан [banаn] banana 1.3
The letter «Б» is pronounced as [b]. It is similar to the «b» sound in English words like «ball» or «baby».
[bdzhola] bee
Бібліотека [biblioteka] library
Борщ [borsch] beetroot soup
BThe letter «В» is pronounced as [v]. This sound is similar to the «v» in English words like «vase» or «vote».
Вовк
[vovk] wolf
Вікно [vikno] window Вода [voda] water
Кава [kava] coffee
Гора [hora] mountain
The letter «Г» is indeed pronounced as [h], similar to the «h» in English words like «house» or «happy».
Гроші [hroshi] money
Готель [hotel'] hotel
Магазин [mahazyn] shop
удзик [gudzyk] button
The letter «Ґ» in Ukrainian is pronounced as [g], similar to the «g» in English words like «go» or «game».
[grunt] soil or ground
Head of the household or landlord in Western Ukraine.
винт [gvynt] screw or bolt. Ґазда [gazda]
The letter «Д» is pronounced as [d], similar to the «d» in the English word «dog» or «door». Двері [dveri] door
[dyvan] sofa or couch
Е
The letter «Е» is pronounced as[ɛ], similar to the «e» in the English word «bed».
Перлина [perlyna] pearl
Літера [litera] letter
