Directions

After this page you will be able to ask where a place is and how to get there, and to understand a simple answer: left, right, straight on, near, far, here and there. You will also know why Ukrainian says на вокза́лі for “at the station” but на вокза́л for “to the station”.

Asking where something is

Де …?

The simplest question is Де (where) followed by the place, in its dictionary form (the nominative). There is no word for is: Ukrainian leaves it out in the present tense. Questions introduces де and the other question words.

To a stranger, start politely with Ви́бачте (Excuse me) and add будь ла́ска (please). A common polite opening is Ви не підка́жете, …?, literally “Won’t you tell me…?”.

Чи є тут …?

To ask whether there is a place nearby at all, use Чи є тут …? (Is there … here?). The word є means “there is”. The place stays in the dictionary form. The answer no uses нема́є (there isn’t) with the genitive case, so the ending changes. Negation explains this.

Asking how to get there

Як дістатися до …?

Як діста́тися до …? means “How do I get to …?”. До (to) always takes the genitive, so the place changes its ending. Usage guides prefer діста́тися to добра́тися [src: goroh-usage]. You can also ask more specifically: Як дійти́ до…? (on foot) or Як дої́хати до…? (by transport).

The examples show the forms you need. Masculine nouns have two possible genitive endings, -а and -у, and the choice must be learned word by word. Cases, an overview introduces the genitive.

Understanding the answer

Left, right, straight on

Directions often use a polite command (the imperative) in the ви form, ending in -іть or -йте.

You will also hear налі́во (to the left) and напра́во (to the right). Usage guides recommend ліво́руч and право́руч instead [src: goroh-usage].

Near, far, here, there

Тут means here and там means there. To point something out, use ось: Ось вокза́л. (Here’s the station.)

Place or direction

Ukrainian keeps two ideas apart that English often mixes:

• A place, where something is. The question is де? (where?). After у/в or на, the noun is in the locative.
• A direction, where someone is going. The question is куди́? (where to?). After у/в or на, the noun is in the accusative. With до, it is in the genitive.

Мені́ тре́ба … means “I need to …” and is a handy way to say where you want to go. Which nouns take в and which take на has to be learned word by word: на вокза́лі, на по́шті, but в апте́ці, у це́нтрі. Common prepositions has a list, and explains when to write у or в [src: pravopys-2026, §23].

Dialogue: finding a pharmacy

A visitor stops a passer-by in the street. They are strangers, so they use ви.

Common mistakes and limits