бог
boh[bɔɦ]masculine
The English word 'God' is translated into Ukrainian as бог (boh).
бог is a masculine noun used to refer to a deity. When you are specifically referring to the single deity of monotheism, the word is capitalized as Бог. In a religious context, you may encounter the term Божественний to mean 'divine' or Божа Матір to refer to the Holy Mother or Mother of God. A reverent way to address God is by using the term Всевишній, which translates to 'Almighty' or 'Most High'.
Meaning: deity (noun)
Which one should you use?
The distinction between бог and Бог is based on the specific deity being discussed: the lowercase бог refers to a general deity or a God in polytheistic contexts, while the capitalized Бог refers to the single deity of monotheism.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In the accusative case, such as when expressing that you see or follow God, the word changes to Бог (if capitalized) or бога (if lowercase).
How do you pronounce it?
boh
When do people say it?
Common religious expressions include Молитися до Бога, which means 'to pray to God' and Вірити в Бога, meaning 'to believe in God'. For an exclamation of surprise or distress, you can use Боже мій, which translates to 'My God' or 'Oh God'.
Did you know?
- In Ukrainian, the word бог is an unexpected relative of the word багатство, meaning 'wealth'. Both stem from an ancient root meaning 'to allot' or 'to give a share'.
- Historically, the concept of 'wealth' and 'god' were so closely linked in Slavic languages that the word for 'god' could imply a provider of abundance, a nuance often lost in modern translations.
- When Ukrainians express a wish for someone to be safe, they might use the phrase Бог у поміч, which literally means 'God be a help'.
Examples in context
- Бог – це кіт.God is a cat.This sentence uses бог to illustrate a basic subject-predicate structure.Tatoeba #11559185 by deniko, translation #11559182 by deniko
- Бог це слон.God is an elephant.Tatoeba #12312490 by deniko, translation #12311450 by Adelpa
- Бог – це любов.God is love.Tatoeba #11454202 by deniko, translation #11338239 by maaster
- Тільки Бог знає, як це сталося.Only God knows how it happened.
- Молитва до Всевишнього дає силу й надію.Prayer to the Almighty gives strength and hope.
- 197 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Oleksandr and Iryna are discussing a movie about mythology.
- Олександр OleksandrЯкий бог був головним у цьому фільмі?Yakyi boh buv holovnym u tsomu filmi?Which god was the main character in this movie?
- Ірина IrynaЗдається, це був бог грому.Zdaysia, tse buv boh hromu.I think it was the god of thunder.
- Олександр OleksandrЦікаво, як люди вірили в кожного бога.Tsikavo, yak liudy viryly v kozhnoho boha.It's interesting how people believed in every god.
- Ірина IrynaТак, стародавній бог завжди мав велику силу.Tak, starodavniy boh zavzhdy mav velyku sylu.Yes, an ancient god always had great power.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “God” translations and entries бог, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
