The Beginning Learner’s Ukrainian Dictionary is designed especially for beginner Ukrainian learners. Free audio tracks are available to download and stream below.

This dictionary is much more than a simple reference tool. It’s a study companion to help you build a strong foundation in both vocabulary and grammar. You’re encouraged to read through entries, study the structure of example sentences, notice noun, adjective, and verb inflections, and practice your pronunciation and listening skills using the accompanying audio tracks.

Includes three indexes: English–Ukrainian Quick Lookup, Common Ukrainian Names, and Grammar Terms.

The dictionary is adapted from The Beginning Learner’s Russian Dictionary and based on the official Lexical Minimum for the standardized test, which includes 780 items that learners are expected to know at the A1 level. Additional entries—such as names of countries, common Ukrainian personal names, and grammatical terms—bring the total number of headwords to over 1,000.

Unlike other Ukrainian–English dictionaries, this one is learner-friendly and easy to navigate. Only A1-level senses appear in entries, while grammar information is clearly presented in tables with helpful usage notes. Example sentences use only vocabulary found within the dictionary, ensuring accessibility for beginners. (Many standard dictionaries can be overwhelming, with multiple uncommon senses and limited grammatical context intended for advanced users.)

About the Ukrainian Language

Українська мова — одна з найдавніших і найкрасивіших слов’янських мов. Вона має набагато більше спільного з польською, словацькою, чеською та сербською, ніж із російською, у якій багато слів татарського походження. Вивчаючи українську:

• Ви зможете порозумітися з більшою кількістю людей у Європі та почати спілкуватися з ними.
• Ви зможете підтримати біженців з України, сказавши їм тепле слово українською.
• Ви зможете слухати хрипкий голос Зеленського та читати Сергія Жадана, Ліну Костенко, Тараса Шевченка й інших видатних українських письменників в оригіналі.

Українська — мова найхоробрішої нації сучасності. Вивчайте українську — так ви теж допоможете Україні!

Lisa Shilova, Co-Author

English Translation

Ukrainian is one of the oldest and most beautiful Slavic languages. It has much more in common with Polish, Slovak, Czech, and Serbian than Russian, which contains many words of Tatar origin. By learning Ukrainian:

• You’ll be able to communicate with and understand many more people across Europe.
• You’ll be able to support refugees from Ukraine by speaking a kind word to them in their own language.
• You’ll be able to listen to President Zelensky’s distinctive voice and read Serhiy Zhadan, Lina Kostenko, Taras Shevchenko, and other great Ukrainian writers in the original.

Ukrainian is the language of the bravest nation of our time. Learn Ukrainian — and you’ll be helping Ukraine too!

Lisa Shilova, Co-Author