How different is Ukrainian from Russian?

calande · 03-17-2008, 12:32 AM

Hello,

I'm learning Russian at the moment. It's quite difficult!

I'd like to learn Ukrainian also for my job, but first I'd like to know the similarities with Russian. Is it similar to Russian? What are the differences in a nutshell?
Thanks

calande · 03-17-2008, 11:00 PM

Any idea?

Cloelia · 03-18-2008, 01:33 PM

Here are the ideas of a Swedish woman who knows English, French, German and Russian:
Ukrainian is similar to Russian. I would advice you to go on learning Russian until you know it quite well. If you are a beginner in two similar languages you will just mix them up, so one at a time, please! Btw, although I only know Russian, I was able to understand quite a lot when I read through some threads in this sub-forum.

I have heard that Russians and Ukrainians can communicate with each other while they speak their own language if they speak distinctly and slowly. I have also read that the difference between Russian and Ukrainian is as big as between Dutch and German or a little less than between Spanish and Italian. (I have studied Spanish as well as Italian and to me Spanish and Italian are absolutely two different languages.) I cannot give you the differences in a nutshell because I have not studied Ukrainian yet. While you are waiting for the Ukrainians to answer in this thread you have to google for the differences.

calande · 03-18-2008, 05:36 PM

Thanks! Agreed, Italian and Spanish are quite different. Even Portuguese and Spanish. A Spanish will have a hard time communicating with a Portuguese if he has no previous basics. Anyway, if some one has more details on the difference between Russian and Ukrainian, I'm interested

Thanks again.

Sashka78 · 04-09-2008, 10:08 AM

The two languages bear pretty close resemblance, but only two people living in a bilingual environment can understand each other, one of them speaking Ukrainian and the other Russian. Russians without any knowledge of Ukrainian would ask me for translation as they would not understand most of what people say in Ukrainian. Even people from Russia on web forums complain they do not understand Ukrainian posts.
On the contrary, almost all Ukrainians are bilingual.

Lana_S · 05-13-2008, 08:02 PM

The difference is like between Spanish and English. You can understand something. Maybe 25%.

03-17-2008, 12:32 AM	#1 (permalink)
calande Growing Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 20 calande is an unknown character at this point	How different is Ukrainian from Russian? Hello, I'm learning Russian at the moment. It's quite difficult! I'd like to learn Ukrainian also for my job, but first I'd like to know the similarities with Russian. Is it similar to Russian? What are the differences in a nutshell? Thanks
(Offline)

03-17-2008, 11:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
calande Growing Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 20 calande is an unknown character at this point	Any idea?
(Offline)

03-18-2008, 01:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
Cloelia Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 146 Cloelia is an unknown character at this point	Here are the ideas of a Swedish woman who knows English, French, German and Russian: Ukrainian is similar to Russian. I would advice you to go on learning Russian until you know it quite well. If you are a beginner in two similar languages you will just mix them up, so one at a time, please! Btw, although I only know Russian, I was able to understand quite a lot when I read through some threads in this sub-forum. I have heard that Russians and Ukrainians can communicate with each other while they speak their own language if they speak distinctly and slowly. I have also read that the difference between Russian and Ukrainian is as big as between Dutch and German or a little less than between Spanish and Italian. (I have studied Spanish as well as Italian and to me Spanish and Italian are absolutely two different languages.) I cannot give you the differences in a nutshell because I have not studied Ukrainian yet. While you are waiting for the Ukrainians to answer in this thread you have to google for the differences.
(Offline)

03-18-2008, 05:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
calande Growing Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 20 calande is an unknown character at this point	Thanks! Agreed, Italian and Spanish are quite different. Even Portuguese and Spanish. A Spanish will have a hard time communicating with a Portuguese if he has no previous basics. Anyway, if some one has more details on the difference between Russian and Ukrainian, I'm interested Thanks again.
(Offline)

04-09-2008, 10:08 AM	#5 (permalink)
Sashka78 Padawan Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kiev, Ukraine Posts: 20 Sashka78 is an unknown character at this point	The two languages bear pretty close resemblance, but only two people living in a bilingual environment can understand each other, one of them speaking Ukrainian and the other Russian. Russians without any knowledge of Ukrainian would ask me for translation as they would not understand most of what people say in Ukrainian. Even people from Russia on web forums complain they do not understand Ukrainian posts. On the contrary, almost all Ukrainians are bilingual.
(Offline)

05-13-2008, 08:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
Lana_S Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: CA Posts: 6 Lana_S is an unknown character at this point	The difference is like between Spanish and English. You can understand something. Maybe 25%.
(Offline)

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