Greetings

After this page you will be able to say hello and goodbye in Ukrainian, choose a greeting that fits the time of day and the person, ask someone how they are, and answer when someone asks you.

Most greetings are short fixed phrases, but they are built from patterns you will meet again. Each section below shows the pattern first, then the phrases.

Hello: one informal word, and “good” + time of day

Привіт: hi

Приві́т means hi. It is informal: use it with friends, family, children, and other people you say ти to. Pronouns explains the difference between ти and ви.

Добрий + time of day

With everyone else, the safe choice is “good” plus the time of day. The pattern is до́брий + a masculine noun, so the adjective has its masculine ending -ий. Adjectives and agreement explains this matching.

These greetings do not show ти or ви, so they suit anyone: a neighbour, a shop assistant, a teacher or a friend. If you are not sure which greeting to use, До́брий день! is a good default during the day.

You will also hear the same nouns in another case: До́брого ра́нку!, До́брого дня!, До́брого ве́чора! These are genitive forms, the case used for wishing someone something. They mean the same as the greetings in the table.

Вітаю: I greet you

Віта́ю! is the I form of the verb віта́ти (to greet), so it literally means “I greet [you]”. Like до́брий день, it does not show ти or ви. You may also see it at the start of emails and messages.

Goodbye: до + “until when”

Several goodbyes use the preposition до (until, up to) with a noun or adverb. До takes the genitive case, as Common prepositions shows.

Other goodbyes are verbs, and the verb shows whether you are saying ти or ви. Бува́й is said to one person you say ти to. Бува́йте is the ви form.

Late in the evening, when someone is going to bed, say На добра́ніч! (Good night!). It is a goodbye, not a greeting: when you meet someone in the evening, say До́брий ве́чір!

How are you?

Як справи?

The most useful question is Як спра́ви?, literally “How are things?” (спра́ви is the plural of спра́ва, a matter or affair.) On its own it does not show ти or ви. To make it personal, add your or with you:

• Як твої́ спра́ви? or Як у те́бе спра́ви? to someone you say ти to.
• Як ва́ші спра́ви? or Як у вас спра́ви? to someone you say ви to.

У те́бе and у вас are the same “at you” pattern as in у ме́не є (I have). See Everyday needs.

Як ся маєш?

Another common question uses the verb ма́ти (to have) with the small word ся (oneself): Як ся ма́єш? and Як ся ма́єте? mean “How are you?”, literally “How do you have yourself?” The verb ending shows ти (ма́єш) or ви (ма́єте). Usage guides list both Як ва́ші (твої́) спра́ви? and Як ся ма́єте (ма́єш)? as good Ukrainian [src: goroh-usage].

With friends you can also just say Як ти? (How are you?).

Answering

Answers are usually an adverb, often followed by дя́кую (thank you). To ask back, use А (and, but) with the pronoun: А ти?, А ви?, or with the “at you” form: А в те́бе?, А у вас?

The small word before те́бе and вас changes between у and в for easier pronunciation. After a vowel and before a consonant it is usually в (А в те́бе?). Before в it is у (А у вас?) [src: pravopys-2026, §23].

Dialogues

Two neighbours who say ви to each other meet in the morning:

Two friends meet in the street:

Common mistakes and limits