Please Stop Saying “The” Ukraine.

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It drives Ukrainians bananas when people say “The” Ukraine. It’s Ukraine. That’s all. Ukraine.

There are people claiming to be experts on Ukraine who appear on television saying “The” Ukraine. Which makes me wonder.

Published by Judy Campbell

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21 thoughts on “Please Stop Saying “The” Ukraine.”

    1. But I am so much more than a current events trend follower! Seriously, I know a few Ukrainians in real life, and “The” Ukraine drives them nuts. 🙂

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  3. None of us do it, JaC; however, the southern half of North America *is* officially “The United States of America”, right? 🙂 When Ukraine was a satellite in the USSR, “the” was used to differentiate a *region*, like our Northeast/Midwest, etc., right? So, the Soviet association is what drives your friends nuts, actually. Have I got it?

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    1. Yes. In their view, Russia wants people to say “The” Ukraine because-exactly as you say-it makes it sound like a region within a larger country. Ukrainians feel very strongly that Ukraine is its own country, and I agree with them 🙂

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    2. Also, I wasn’t referring to anyone on this site-apologies if it seemed as though I was! I was just addressing anyone and everyone, I guess. It’s an understandable mistake for most people who know nothing about Ukraine, but too many self professed experts on Ukraine on television are making this mistake, which causes me to wonder if they have ever even met a Ukrainian.

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      1. No doubt, although, it does seem more common in British usage, too. Possibly out of habit, not meant to offend. Still, tiresome for those trying to assert/remind others re: independent existence.

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    1. Yanisnyu. Which means, in Ukrainian, I don’t know. I have completely butchered it: I spelled it the way it sounds in English, not the correct spelling. I will consult google to answer your question.

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    2. According to google, the word “the” translates into “B” in Ukrainian?

      I also found this:
      Is there a th sound in Ukrainian?
      Some Ukrainian consonants are pronounced like their English counterparts, others not. Some English digraphs (like “ch”) are represented by single letters in Ukrainian. And some letters and digraphs (compound letters like “th”) do not exist in Ukrainian at all.

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  5. P.S. A Ukrainian worked for me as nanny for 1 year. I loaned her enough money (0% interest) to start her own business when I deployed to another foreign land. I have never seen her since. She paid back all of the money minus the 10% (obvs) that went into a local church.

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  7. Indeed they are. JaC, does Ukrainian use the Western or the Cyrillic alphabet? (That may explain the “B” you got for an answer from Google.)

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    1. Ukrainian uses the Cyrillic alphabet. One of the reasons why learning the language was just beyond me, even though I grew up around it. I only know how to say one thing in Ukrainian. Yanisnyu. I don’t know 🙂 I find some comfort in the fact that no one ever taught me this: I just somehow picked it up, but it is the only thing I picked up 🙂

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  8. ST: Word for “the” in Russian? There isnt one. “This”, to refer to a oarticular object, would be это.

    Ukraine means borderland. Se eckshuy*, it makes sense to say in English “the borderland”.

    (* that’s “actually”. Sometimes i misspell words for pleasure. Idky it feels good)

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