па́ні
pánifeminine
The English title 'Mrs.' can be expressed in Ukrainian as па́ні (páni) or мі́сіс.
Meaning: title before a woman's name (noun)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| па́ні | páni | feminine |
| мі́сіс | mísis | feminine |
The term па́ні is the standard way to address a woman or refer to her as 'lady' or 'Ms.' In contrast, мі́сіс is a loanword used specifically to mimic English conventions, often when referring to a woman's marital status in Westernized or international contexts.
Which one should you use?
па́ні is the standard Ukrainian term meaning 'lady', 'madam' or 'Ms.', while мі́сіс is a direct transliteration of the English 'Mrs.' used to signal marital status.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike most Ukrainian nouns, the title па́ні is indeclinable, meaning it does not change its ending regardless of its grammatical case in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
páni
Did you know?
- While па́ні is the polite standard today, the term па́н used for men was once banned by Soviet authorities for being too aristocratic.
- The root of па́ні is related to the word for 'lord' or 'master', meaning that the title literally designates a woman of high status.
- When addressing a woman as па́ні in a formal letter, it is customary to follow the title with her first name and patronymic rather than just her surname.
Examples in context
- Доброго дня, Пані Стеценко. Як справи?Good day, Mrs. Stetsenko. How are you?
- Па́ні Коваль була дуже ввічли́вою.Pani Koval bula duzhe vitchlyvoyu.Mrs. Koval was very polite.
Example conversation
Oleksandr is introducing a colleague to Olena.
- Олександр OleksandrОлено, познайомся, це па́ні Вайт.Oleno, poznaiomsia, tse pani White.Olena, meet Mrs. White.
- Олена OlenaДуже приємно познайомитися з вами.Duzhe pryyemno poznaiomytysia z vamy.It is very nice to meet you.
- Олександр OleksandrПа́ні Вайт відома лікарка.Pani White vidoma likarka.Mrs. White is a famous doctor.
- Олена OlenaЦе дуже цікаво!Tse duzhe tsikavo!That is very interesting!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mrs” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
