Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| наді́ятися | nadíjatysja | imperfective |
| сподіва́тися | spodivátysja | imperfective |
| упова́ти | upováty | imperfective |
The verbs in this group all mean to want something to happen with the expectation that it might occur. You can also use the noun наді́я to refer to the belief that something wished for can happen, or even as the female given name Наді́я.
Which one should you use?
The choice between the three forms depends on how much confidence or emotion you are expressing: наді́ятися implies a stronger sense of expectation or reliance. сподіва́тися is more tentative or cautious, similar to 'I am hoping that…'. And упова́ти carries a connotation of deep-seated trust or placing one's hope in something, often used in religious or highly emotional contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use наді́ятися to hope for a specific thing (a noun), you must use the preposition на followed by the accusative case. If you want to say 'to hope that' followed by a clause, use the conjunction що after the verb.
How do you pronounce it?
nadíjatysja
Did you know?
- The name Наді́я is the Ukrainian version of the Greek name 'Elpis', who was the personification of hope in mythology.
- The word for 'hope', наді́я, shares an ancient root with the word ді́яти, which means 'to act' or 'to do'.
- Using the verb упова́ти in a coffee shop might make you sound like a character from a 19th-century epic poem rather than a modern person.
Examples in context
- Я сподіваюсь, що все буде добре.I hope everything will be fine.
- Ми маємо надію на краще майбутнє.We have hope for a better future.
- Ми покладаємо надію на ваше рішення.We place hope in your decision.
- Я надіюсь, що у нас вийде влаштуватись на нове місце.I hope we can settle in the new place.
- Сподіваючись, все піде добре.Hoping everything will go well.
Example conversation
Olena and Andriy are talking about a job interview.
- Олена OlenaЯ наді́ятися, що мене візьмуть на роботу.Ya nadiyaty-sia, shcho mene vizʹmutʹ na robotu.I hope that they will hire me for the job.
- Андрій AndriiТи дуже добре пройшла співбесіду, Олено.Ty duzhe dobro proyshla spivbesidu, Oleno.You did the interview very well, Olena.
- Олена OlenaСправді? Я дуже наді́ятися на позитивну відповідь.Spravdi? Ya duzhe nadiyaty-sia na pozytyvnu vidpovidʹ.Really? I really hope for a positive answer.
- Андрій AndriiВсе обов'язково буде добре.Vse obov'yazkovo bude dobre.Everything will definitely be fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hope” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
