Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| пра́вильний | právylʹnyj |
| коре́ктний | koréktnyj |
Use пра́вильний to describe something that is factually accurate or following a rule. Use коре́ктний to describe behavior, speech or actions that are socially appropriate, polite or tactful.
Which one should you use?
пра́вильний is used for factual accuracy, such as a correct answer or a correct way to do something. коре́ктний is used for social appropriateness, such as being polite or tactful in a conversation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective пра́вильний must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. Use пра́вильна for feminine nouns, пра́вильне for neuter nouns and пра́вильні for plural nouns. Related verbs that mean 'to make something become right that was previously wrong' include виправля́ти, ви́правити and коригува́ти.
How do you pronounce it?
právylʹnyj
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using коре́ктний when you mean 'factually accurate'. For example, do not use коре́ктний to describe a correct math answer. In Ukrainian, коре́ктний primarily describes social politeness or tact.
Did you know?
- While пра́вильний means 'correct', the word for 'right' as in the opposite of left is пра́вий. This same word is used to describe 'right-wing' political views.
- The word пра́во serves as the root for пра́вильний and means both 'law' and 'a right' as in a legal entitlement. This creates a semantic bridge between correctness, legality and entitlement.
- In a professional environment, telling someone they need to be more коре́ктний acts as a polite but sharp reprimand. It is a way to suggest someone is being insensitive or rude without using blunt insults.
Examples in context
- Так, це район під назвою Майдан.Yes, that is the district called Maidan.
- Ваш алгоритм розрахунку є правильним.Your calculation algorithm is correct.
- Будь ласка, перевірте, чи заповнені ваші дані відповідним чином.Please check if your details are filled in correctly.
Example conversation
Andriy and Mariia are checking their homework together.
- Андрій AndriiМаріє, подивись на це речення.Mariie, podyvysʹ na tse rechennia.Mariia, look at this sentence.
- Марія MariiaЦе пра́вильний переклад, Андрію.Tse pravylʹnyy pereklad, Andriiu.This is the correct translation, Andriy.
- Андрій AndriiЯ не був у цьому впевнений.Ya ne buv u tsomu vpevnenyy.I wasn't sure about that.
- Марія MariiaВсе написано без помилок.Vse napysano bez pomylok.Everything is written without mistakes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “correct” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
