бі́лка
bílkafeminine
The Ukrainian word for squirrel is бі́лка, romanized as bílka. If unsure, use бі́лка. Wiktionary also lists ви́вірка (vývirka) and біли́ця (bilýcja).
Meaning: rodent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| бі́лка | bílka | feminine |
| ви́вірка | vývirka | feminine |
| біли́ця | bilýcja | feminine, regional |
| ви́скічка | výskička | feminine, regional |
бі́лка is the standard, most common word for a squirrel in everyday Ukrainian.
Which one should you use?
ви́вірка is another word for the same animal. біли́ця and ви́скічка are regional words, so бі́лка is the safe choice anywhere.
Is it said differently in some regions?
біли́ця and ви́скічка are regional variants heard in some areas.
How does it change in a sentence?
All four words are feminine nouns. The plural of бі́лка is бі́лки, and when the squirrel is the direct object of a sentence the form changes to бі́лку.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as bílka, with the stress on the first syllable as the accent mark shows.
Did you know?
- The Ukrainian word бі́лка shares the same root as the word for 'white' біли́й, reflecting the appearance of the white squirrel subspecies found in some forests.
- The word бі́лка can be used in a playful or affectionate way to describe a person who is very energetic or cannot sit still.
- While бі́лка is the standard term, the word ви́вірка is more closely related to the terms for squirrels used in other Slavic languages like Polish and Czech.
Examples in context
- В парку я бачив білкуIn the park, I saw a squirrel.
- Ця бі́лка дуже швидка.Tsya bilka duzhe shvydka.This squirrel is very fast.
- Бі́лка стрибає по гілках.Bilka strybaie po hilkakh.The squirrel is jumping on the branches.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “squirrel” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
