день
denʹ[dɛnʲ]masculine
The English word 'day' is translated into Ukrainian as день (denʹ) or до́ба.
Meaning: period of 24 hours (noun)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| день | denʹ | [dɛnʲ] (narrow) | masculine |
| до́ба | dóba | feminine |
The word is used to denote a period of 24 hours or the daylight hours. It can also be used in common expressions, such as добрий день (good day), which is a standard, polite way to say 'Hello' during the daytime.
Which one should you use?
While день often refers to daylight hours or a calendar day, до́ба is used specifically to denote a full, precise 24-hour period.
How does it change in a sentence?
день is a masculine noun. The singular masculine form for 'one day' is один день. The plural form in the nominative case is дні. The genitive singular form дня is used to indicate possession, to mean 'of the day' or after numbers other than 1.
How do you pronounce it?
denʹ
When do people say it?
Saying добрий день is a standard and polite method of greeting people during the day.
Did you know?
- The Ukrainian word день is a linguistic cousin to the Sanskrit word dina, a connection that dates back thousands of years to a common ancestor.
- The greeting добрий день is often shortened to добридень in writing, turning the two separate words for 'good' and 'day' into a single compound word.
- Ukrainian has a specific word, світанок, for the very first light of the день, which is often treated as a distinct spiritual or poetic moment rather than just 'morning'.
Examples in context
- Це не мій день.It is not my day.This sentence shows the use of день in a common idiom.Tatoeba #7997906 by deniko, translation #242722 by CM
- Це ясно як день.It's as plain as day.This sentence uses день within a simile meaning 'as plain as day'.Tatoeba #7216370 by deniko, translation #5006434 by CK
- Я цілий день їм.I eat all day.This sentence demonstrates the use of день to describe a duration of time.Tatoeba #8077707 by miketheknight, translation #6849841 by Eccles17
- Україна – країна чудових днів.Ukraine is a country of wonderful days.
- Я провів(ла) чудовий день у парку!I had a wonderful day in the park!
- 534 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Serhiy and Mariia are talking about their work schedules.
- Сергій SerhiiЯ працюю кожен день.Ya pratsyuyu kozhen den.I work every day.
- Марія MariiaА ти відпочиваєш у вихідний день?A ty vidpochyvayeush u vykhidnyi den?And do you rest on a day off?
- Сергій SerhiiТак, це мій улюблений день.Tak, tse miy ulyublenyi den.Yes, it is my favorite day.
- Марія MariiaТоді бажаю тобі гарного дня!Todi bazhayu tobi harnoho dnya!Then I wish you a good day!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “day” translations and entries день, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries день, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
