ти красива
ty krasyva
The English phrase "you're pretty" is translated into Ukrainian as ти красива (ty krasyva).
This phrase is used as a compliment to tell a woman or girl that she is physically attractive.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the pronoun ти (you) and the feminine adjective красива (beautiful/pretty).
Which one should you use?
While красива focuses on physical beauty, the alternative ти гарна is very common and can mean 'pretty', 'good-looking' or even 'nice/pleasant'.
How do you pronounce it?
ty krasyva
Did you know?
- The pronoun ти comes from the Proto-Indo-European root túh₂, making it a distant relative of the English word 'thou'.
- Complimenting someone's beauty in Ukrainian often triggers a modest reply such as дякую, but it is culturally common to downplay the compliment to avoid appearing vain.
- In Ukrainian, you can turn ти красива into a question simply by raising the pitch of your voice at the end, without changing the word order.
Examples in context
- Ти красива.You're pretty.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone is pretty.Tatoeba #2598517 by User55521, translation #1079506 by keira_n
- Ви гарні, я завжди захоплююсь вашою красою.You're pretty, I'm always amazed by your beauty.
- Ти прекрасна, я завжди люблю дивитися на тебе.You're beautiful, I always love looking at you.
Example conversation
Serhii is giving Iryna a compliment during a date.
- Ірина IrynaМені подобається твоя нова сукня.Meni podobayetʹsya tvoya nova suknya.I like your new dress.
- Сергій SerhiiДякую, Сергію! Вона мені теж подобається.Dyakuyu, Serhiyu! Vona meni tezh podobayetʹsya.Thank you, Serhii! I like it too.
- Ірина IrynaТи красива в ній.Ty krasyva v niy.You're pretty in it.
- Сергій SerhiiТи дуже милий.Ty duzhe mylyy.You are very sweet.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ти, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
