свиня
svynia
The Ukrainian word for pig is свиня (svynia).
свиня refers to the mammal of the family Suidae. Calling someone a свиня is a common way to call them a pig, implying they are dirty, rude or unpleasant. Additionally, the phrase їсти як свиня is used to describe someone eating messily or greedily, just as in English.
Meaning: mammal of family Suidae (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of свиня is свині. When the word is the direct object of a sentence, such as 'I see a pig', the form changes to свиню.
How do you pronounce it?
svynia
Did you know?
- In Ukrainian folklore and rural tradition, the pig is often viewed as a symbol of wealth and prosperity rather than just dirtiness.
- The word свиня shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'swine', meaning they are distant linguistic cousins.
- In many Ukrainian villages, you might hear the word порося used to refer specifically to a piglet, which is often considered a more endearing or 'cute' term than the standard свиня.
Examples in context
- Не їж як свиня.Don't eat like a pig.This sentence is useful for demonstrating the idiom for eating messily using свиня.Tatoeba #6486555 by deniko, translation #41548 by CK
- Том їсть як свиня.Tom eats like a pig.This sentence shows how to use the idiom свиня to describe someone's eating habits.Tatoeba #6537886 by deniko, translation #1025851 by CK
- Ти свиня.You're a pig.This sentence illustrates using свиня as a direct insult to a person.Tatoeba #4585999 by shanghainese, translation #2218034 by CK
- Ця свиня дуже велика.This pig is very big.
- Вони мають кілька поросят.They have several piglets.
- Де можна побачити свиноматку?Where can we see a sow?
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dmytro and Olena are visiting a farm together.
- Дмитро DmytroДивись, яка велика свиня!Dyvys', yaka velyka svynya!Look, what a big pig!
- Олена OlenaВона дуже мила.Vona duzhe myla.She is very cute.
- Дмитро DmytroДе ця свиня живе?De tsya svynya zhyve?Where does this pig live?
- Олена OlenaТам, у тому загоні.Tam, u tomu zahoni.There, in that pen.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries свиня, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
