чолові́к
čolovíkmasculine
The Ukrainian word for husband is чолові́к (čolovík) or муж.
Meaning: male partner in marriage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| чолові́к | čolovík | masculine | |
| муж | muž | [muʒ] (narrow) | masculine |
The term чолові́к is used to refer to a male partner in marriage, but it is also the standard word for a man in general. To specifically refer to your spouse in everyday speech, you would use the phrase мій чолові́к (my husband).
Which one should you use?
While чолові́к can mean both 'man' and 'husband' depending on the context, муж refers specifically to 'husband'.
How do you pronounce it?
čolovík
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may mistakenly assume чолові́к only means 'husband', but it is the standard word for 'man' as well.
When do people say it?
When addressing a husband directly, it is common to use terms of endearment such as коханий (beloved) or дорогий (dear).
Did you know?
- In very traditional or rural contexts, some speakers might avoid saying мій чолові́к and instead use the phrase мій господар, which literally means 'my master' or 'head of the house'.
- While муж is the traditional word for 'husband', it now sounds quite archaic and is mostly found in religious or highly literary texts.
- The word муж is a direct cognate of the English word 'man', sharing the same Proto-Indo-European roots.
Examples in context
- Мій чоловік любить готувати.My husband loves to cook.
- Мій коханий чоловікMy beloved husband
Example conversation
Nataliia is introducing her husband to a friend.
- Наталія NataliiaАндрію, познайомся, це мій чолові́к.Andriyu, poznaiomias, tse mii cholovik.Andrii, meet my husband.
- Андрій AndriiДуже приємно з вами познайомитися!Duzhe pryiemno z vamy poznaiomytysia!Very nice to meet you!
- Наталія NataliiaМій чолові́к теж хоче познайомитися.Mii cholovik tezh khoche poznaiomytysia.My husband also wants to meet you.
- Андрій AndriiЯ радий вас бачити.Ya radyi vas bachyty.I am glad to see you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “husband” translations and entries муж, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries муж, CC BY-SA 4.0.
