Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| коха́на | koxána | feminine |
| ді́вчина | dívčyna | feminine |
| подру́га | podrúha | feminine |
| при́ятелька | prýjatelʹka | feminine |
In Ukrainian, the term you choose depends on whether you are describing a romantic partner, a close friend or simply a young woman. To clearly specify that a woman is your romantic partner, it is common to use the possessive pronoun моя́ (my) before the word ді́вчина.
What does it mean word for word?
The term коха́на literally means 'the beloved one'.
Which one should you use?
There are distinct nuances between the available forms. ді́вчина is the most common way to refer to a girlfriend in a romantic context, though it can also simply mean 'young woman'. коха́на is a more intense, poetic or formal way to refer to a romantic partner. In contrast, подру́га means a female friend. Using it to mean a romantic partner can be ambiguous without further context. Finally, при́ятелька refers to a female acquaintance or a casual friend and carries much less intimacy than the other terms.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms are feminine nouns. You can use the word моя before these terms to express possession.
How do you pronounce it?
koxána
Did you know?
- Ukrainian has two distinct verbs for 'to love': любити for general affection and кохати for romantic passion. The word коха́на is derived exclusively from the romantic verb.
- The word ді́вчина comes from the root діва which means 'maiden' or 'virgin'.
- Because подру́га is so ambiguous it is common for Ukrainians to add the word просто meaning 'simply' to clarify that a woman is 'just a friend' and not a romantic partner.
Examples in context
- моя дівчинаMy girlfriend
- Давай зустрінемося з моєю дівчиною після роботи.Let's meet with my girlfriend after work.
- Моя коха́на дуже розумна.Moya kokhana duzhe rozumna.My girlfriend is very smart.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girlfriend” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
