хло́пець
xlópecʹmasculine
The English phrase 'boyfriend' is translated into Ukrainian as хло́пець (xlópecʹ). Wiktionary also lists коха́ний (koxányj) and па́рубок (párubok).
Meaning: male partner in a romantic relationship (noun)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| хло́пець | xlópecʹ | masculine | |
| коха́ний | koxányj | masculine | |
| па́рубок | párubok | masculine | |
| друг | druh | [druɦ] (narrow) | masculine |
| при́ятель | prýjatelʹ | masculine |
To say 'my boyfriend', you use the possessive pronoun мій before хло́пець.
Which one should you use?
The term хло́пець is the standard word for 'boyfriend', but it also carries the general meaning of 'young man' or 'boy'. For a partner with whom you share a deep and intense emotional connection, you might use коха́ний, which translates to 'beloved' or 'darling'. In contrast, the word при́ятель refers to a casual male friend or acquaintance and is not used for a romantic partner.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using хло́пець as a direct object in a sentence, such as when saying 'I see my boyfriend', the word changes to the form хлопця.
How do you pronounce it?
xlópecʹ
Did you know?
- Ukrainian distinguishes between любити for general love and кохати for romantic love, which is why the word for 'beloved' boyfriend is коха́ний.
- Historically, the word хло́пець was used to describe a male servant or a farmhand before it became the standard term for 'boyfriend'.
- While хло́пець means 'boyfriend', a young woman might call her partner мій па́рубок to sound more traditional or folk-inspired, much like saying 'my lad' in certain English dialects.
Examples in context
- Мені подобається мій хлопець.I like my boyfriend.
- Це мій коханий.This is my beloved.
- У неї новий бойфренд.She has a new boyfriend.
- Ось мій хлопецьHere is my boyfriend
- Мій хло́пець дуже добрий.Mii khlopets duzhe dobryi.My boyfriend is very kind.
- У неї є хло́пець.U nei ie khlopets.She has a boyfriend.
Example conversation
Natalia is introducing her partner to Oleksandr.
- Олександр OleksandrХто цей чоловік поруч із тобою?Khto tsey cholovik poruch iz toboyu?Who is this man next to you?
- Наталія NataliiaОлександре, це мій хло́пець, Максим.Oleksandre, tse miy khlopets, Maksym.Oleksandr, this is my boyfriend, Maksym.
- Олександр OleksandrПриємно познайомитися, Максиме!Pryyemno poznayomytysya, Maksyme!Nice to meet you, Maksym!
- Наталія NataliiaВін чудовий хло́пець.Vin chudovyy khlopets.He is a wonderful boyfriend.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boyfriend” translations and entries друг, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
