ни́жня біли́зна
nýžnja bilýznafeminine
The English word "underwear" is translated into Ukrainian as ни́жня біли́зна (nýžnja bilýzna). Wiktionary also lists біли́зна (bilýzna).
Meaning: clothes worn next to the skin (noun)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ни́жня біли́зна | nýžnja bilýzna | feminine |
| біли́зна | bilýzna | feminine |
ни́жня біли́зна is used to refer to clothes worn next to the skin. As a collective noun, it is typically used in the singular form to refer to the category in general or a set of underwear. You may also see the phrase Інтимна білизна used to mean "intimate underwear".
Which one should you use?
While ни́жня біли́зна specifically refers to underwear, the shorter form біли́зна can more broadly refer to any linens or undergarments.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ни́жня біли́зна is in the nominative case. If used after a preposition such as без (without), it changes to the genitive case ни́жньої біли́зни.
How do you pronounce it?
nýžnja bilýzna
Did you know?
- The word біли́зна shares the same root as біли́й, meaning 'white'. This reflects a historical standard where undergarments and linens were expected to be bleached white for hygiene.
- In many Ukrainian households, the term білизна is used interchangeably to mean both 'underwear' and 'bed linens', meaning your laundry basket might contain both socks and sheets.
- In a very casual or old-fashioned setting, someone might refer to their undergarments simply as спідня rather than ни́жня, though both refer to the same 'under' concept.
Examples in context
- Я купив нову білизну.I bought new underwear.
- Ця ни́жня біли́зна дуже м'яка.Tsya nyzhnya bilyzna duzhe myaka.This underwear is very soft.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “underwear” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
