Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| буди́нок | budýnok | masculine | |
| ха́та | xáta | feminine | |
| дім | dim | [dʲim] (narrow) [dim] (dialectal, narrow) |
masculine |
While all these words can translate to house, they convey different meanings. Будинок refers to a physical building or a large structure. Дім refers to the concept of a home, the place where a person lives and feels a sense of belonging. For example, if you want to say 'I am going home,' you use дім rather than the word for a physical building.
Which one should you use?
Будинок is used when you are discussing a physical building or structure. In contrast, дім is much more personal and focuses on the emotional concept of 'home.' Ха́та is a specific type of house, typically a traditional, smaller or rural cottage or hut.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Дім can have a more poetic touch and is frequently used in literature or idiomatic expressions. Ха́та has a more rustic or colloquial feel and is often associated with a rural context.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Ха́та is used throughout the central, western, southern and eastern parts of Ukraine.
How does it change in a sentence?
ха́та is a feminine noun, while both дім and буди́нок are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
budýnok
Did you know?
- The word дім is a cognate of the English word 'domestic' and the Latin word 'domus'.
- In traditional Ukrainian culture, a ха́та was historically built with a large clay oven that served as the heart of the home and a place for sleeping during winter.
- The word дім is used in the Ukrainian equivalent of the 'Home' key on a website or app, despite its poetic and emotional connotations.
Examples in context
- Чи це твій дім?Is that your house?This sentence shows how to ask if a house belongs to someone using дім.Tatoeba #2423432 by Lumo, translation #773423 by marloncori
- Мій дім ваш дім.My house is your house.This sentence demonstrates the use of дім in a common expression.Tatoeba #547714 by deniko, translation #1702642 by Spamster
- Він має власний дім.He has a house of his own.This sentence shows how to describe someone possessing their own дім.Tatoeba #414705 by Ahha, translation #298642 by Swift
- Я живу в будинку на вулиці Шевченка.I live in a house on Shevchenko Street.
- У мене є сад біля хати.I have a garden near my house.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “house” translations and entries дім, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries дім, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
