Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| чорт | čort | [t͡ʃɔrt] (narrow) | masculine |
| біс | bis | [bʲis] (narrow) | masculine |
| дия́вол | dyjávol | masculine | |
| ді́дько | dídʹko | masculine | |
| сатана́ | sataná | masculine |
In Ukrainian, words for "devil" range from theological personifications of evil to colloquial terms for mischievous spirits. You can use these words to refer to an evil creature, a specific name for the fallen angel or as part of common idioms and mild expletives. For example, the phrase до біса functions as an intensifier similar to "the hell" in English and чорт забирай is a common exclamation used to express frustration, similar to "damn it".
Which one should you use?
The choice between words depends on whether you are speaking about folklore or theology. Чорт is a colloquial term often used in everyday speech, folklore and mild expletives to refer to a generic mischievous spirit or demon. In contrast, диявол is the formal, theological term used to describe the personification of evil. While чорт can refer to any generic demon, сатана is used specifically as the proper name for the fallen angel.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some rural parts of Ukraine, particularly in the Carpathian Mountains, the term Вурдалак is used to refer to a vampire or a devil-like creature.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
All the primary forms for "devil" provided are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
чорт is pronounced as čort.
Did you know?
- The word ді́дько is a euphemism for the devil that originally meant 'grandfather'. It is often used to avoid saying the 'real' name of the demon to prevent attracting its attention.
- If you describe a person as having чортів розум, you are actually complimenting them on having a 'devilish' or incredibly sharp intelligence.
- In many Ukrainian folk tales, чорт is not a terrifying figure of pure evil, but rather a clumsy, trickster character who can often be outsmarted by a clever peasant.
Examples in context
- Що ти, до біса, робиш?!What the devil are you doing?This sentence shows how to use біс as an intensifier.Tatoeba #5734445 by deniko, translation #27518 by CK
- І чорт на старість в монахи пішов.In old age, even the devil would enter the monkhood.This sentence illustrates a proverbial use of чорт.Tatoeba #422096 by Ahha, translation #564722 by kebukebu
- Не такий страшний чорт, як його малюють.The devil is not so black as he is painted.This sentence uses чорт in a common idiomatic expression.Tatoeba #422254 by deniko, translation #464806 by Ooneykcall
- Відпусти чортикаLet the little devil go
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Oleksandr and Nataliia are discussing a scary movie they just watched.
- Олександр OleksandrЦей чорт у фільмі був дуже страшним.Tsei chort u filmi buv duzhe strashnym.That devil in the movie was very scary.
- Наталія NataliiaТак, його вигляд був просто жахливим.Tak, yoho vyhliad buv prosto zhakhlyvym.Yes, his appearance was just terrible.
- Олександр OleksandrЯ думаю, що це був справжній чорт.Ya dumayu, shcho tse buv spravzhniy chort.I think that was a real devil.
- Наталія NataliiaТи занадто багато дивишся таких фільмів.Ty zanadto bahato dyvyshsya takykh filmiv.You watch too many of those movies.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “devil” translations and entries чорт, біс, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
