бу́дьмо
búdʹmo
In Ukrainian, 'cheers' can be expressed as бу́дьмо (búdʹmo) or бува́ти здоро́в.
Meaning: toast when drinking (intj)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| бу́дьмо | búdʹmo |
| бува́ти здоро́в | buváty zdoróv |
The most common way to say 'cheers' during a toast in Ukraine is бу́дьмо. Other variations include toasting to specific things, such as За знайомство! (To the acquaintance!) for new acquaintances or За дружбу! (To friendship!) to celebrate friendship.
What does it mean word for word?
бу́дьмо is a combination of the verb 'бути' (to be) in the imperative mood and the first-person plural suffix, literally meaning 'let us be'.
How do you pronounce it?
búdʹmo
Did you know?
- While бу́дьмо is the standard toast, it is common in Ukraine to give a lengthy, heartfelt speech before the actual toast is made. Simply saying 'cheers' without a preceding sentiment can sometimes feel abrupt in formal settings.
- When toasting with vodka, Ukrainians often drink the entire glass in one go after saying бу́дьмо. Sipping the drink slowly after a formal toast is uncommon.
- While бу́дьмо means 'let us be', the word бути is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'be', tracing back to the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root.
Examples in context
- За наше здоров'я, бу́дьмо!Za nashe zdorov'ya, bud'mo!To our health, cheers!
- Бу́дьмо за твій успіх!Bud'mo za tviy uspikh!Cheers to your success!
- За зустріч, бу́дьмо!Za zustrich, bud'mo!Cheers to our meeting!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheers” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
