Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| нача́льник | načálʹnyk | masculine | |
| нача́льниця | načálʹnycja | feminine | |
| шеф | šef | [ʃɛf] (narrow) | masculine |
This term refers to a person in charge.
Which one should you use?
нача́льник is the standard, formal term for a superior or person in charge in a professional or administrative hierarchy. In contrast, шеф is a more colloquial or informal way to refer to a boss, often used in casual conversation or to refer to a specific person in charge of a small group or kitchen. Керівник is a common and neutral term for boss in Ukrainian used in formal business settings. Директор is used to refer to someone in a managerial or executive position.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of нача́льник is нача́льниця. When the masculine noun шеф is the direct object of a sentence, it changes to шефа. The masculine noun шеф takes the ending –у in the dative case, as seen in the phrase сказав шефу (said to the boss).
How do you pronounce it?
načálʹnyk
Did you know?
- The Ukrainian word шеф is borrowed from the French 'chef', which originally comes from the Latin word caput meaning 'head'.
- In a professional setting, if you use the word нача́льник to someone's face, it can sound cold or overly bureaucratic, almost as if you are reading from a legal document.
- In some casual settings, шеф is used as a generic term of address for any man in a position of authority, even if he is not your actual boss.
Examples in context
- Том мій шеф.Tom is my boss.This sentence shows how to identify someone as your шеф.Tatoeba #5972382 by deniko, translation #2273292 by CK
- Тепер я ваш шеф.I'm your boss now.This sentence demonstrates using шеф to state one's current position of authority.Tatoeba #6921996 by deniko, translation #3737020 by CK
- Що ти сказав шефу?What did you say to the boss?This sentence illustrates the dative case of шеф when someone is speaking to the boss.Tatoeba #10283764 by deniko, translation #6261965 by CK
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boss” translations and entries шеф, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries шеф, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
