до́брий день
dóbryj denʹ
good afternoon in Ukrainian is до́брий день (dóbryj denʹ). Wiktionary also lists добри́день (dobrýdenʹ).
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| до́брий день | dóbryj denʹ |
| добри́день | dobrýdenʹ |
до́брий день is used as a general greeting for both good morning (after the initial morning greeting) and good afternoon. Additionally, the formal phrase Dobroho dnya can be used to greet someone formally during the afternoon hours.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase до́брий день literally translates to good day.
Which one should you use?
The single-word form добри́день is a more colloquial and condensed version of the two-word до́брий день.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form добри́день is a contraction of добрий день and is commonly used in spoken, informal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
dóbryj denʹ
Did you know?
- The word день is a distant relative of the English word 'day', as both can be traced back to the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root.
- The word до́брий in до́брий день doesn't just mean 'good' as in 'pleasant', but can also imply 'kind' or 'virtuous'.
- Ukrainian has a specific word for the 'noon' part of the day, полудень, which literally means 'half-day'.
Examples in context
- До́брий день, як ваші справи?Dobryi den, yak vashi spravy?Good afternoon, how are you doing?
- До́брий день, чи можна зайти?Dobryi den, chy mozhna zayty?Good afternoon, may I come in?
- Пані, до́брий день!Pani, dobryi den!Good afternoon, madam!
Example conversation
Oleksandr and Iryna meet in a hallway during the afternoon.
- Олександр OleksandrДо́брий день, Ірино!Dobryi den, Iryno!Good afternoon, Iryna!
- Ірина IrynaДо́брий день, Олександре.Dobryi den, Oleksandre.Good afternoon, Oleksandr.
- Олександр OleksandrВи сьогодні дуже зайнята?Vy siohodni duzhe zaianyata?Are you very busy today?
- Ірина IrynaТак, дуже зайнята.Tak, duzhe zaianyata.Yes, very busy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries день, CC BY-SA 4.0.
