дава́й
davájsingular
The English phrase "come on" can be translated into Ukrainian as дава́й (daváj) when used as an expression of encouragement. Wiktionary also lists дава́йте (davájte).
Meaning: expression of encouragement (intj)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| дава́й | daváj | singular |
| дава́йте | davájte | addressee plural |
In the context of encouragement, дава́й is used as a shorthand to urge someone to perform an action or to keep going. Note that this is distinct from the English use of "come on" to express disbelief. To express disbelief in Ukrainian, you would use a different phrase like та ладно.
What does it mean word for word?
The word дава́й is the imperative singular form of the verb давати, and it literally means "give".
Which one should you use?
Use дава́й when encouraging a single person, whereas дава́йте is used when addressing a group of people or using the formal "you".
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a group of people or using the formal ви (you), use the form дава́йте instead of дава́й.
How do you pronounce it?
daváj
Did you know?
- While it means 'come on' as encouragement, дава́й is also used as a very common way to say 'bye' or 'talk soon' when ending a phone call.
- Because дава́й is an imperative, using it with a stranger can be perceived as a command rather than friendly encouragement, potentially causing offense.
- In some contexts, дава́й can be used to signal the start of a race or a game, functioning like the 'go' in 'ready, set, go'.
Examples in context
- Давай, підемо гуляти разом.Come on, let's go for a walk together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “come on” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
