спа́ти
spátyimperfective
To sleep in Ukrainian is спа́ти (spáty). Wiktionary also lists поспа́ти (pospáty).
Meaning: to rest in state of reduced consciousness (verb)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| спа́ти | spáty | imperfective |
| поспа́ти | pospáty | perfective |
The verb describes the act of resting in a state of reduced consciousness. The related noun сон can refer to both the physiological state of sleep and the dreams experienced during sleep.
Which one should you use?
The imperfective form спа́ти is used to describe the ongoing process of sleeping or a habitual action. In contrast, the perfective form поспа́ти is used to express sleeping for a limited duration or to complete a short period of sleep, often translated as 'to sleep for a while'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
For the first-person singular present tense of the imperfective verb спа́ти, use the form сплю to mean 'I sleep' or 'I am sleeping'.
How do you pronounce it?
spáty
Did you know?
- To say someone is 'sleeping like a log' in Ukrainian, you would use the expression спить як убитий, which literally translates to 'sleeping like one who is killed'.
- The word сон is a cognate of the English word 'somniloquy' or the Latin 'somnus', showing a deep ancient link between Slavic and Indo-European languages.
- Ukrainian uses the word сонний to describe not just a person who is sleepy, but also a slow-moving river or a quiet valley.
Examples in context
- Спокійної ночі!Goodnight!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleep” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
