Thread: Learn Ukrainian here! Вивчайте українську мову

The mix-up of the Russian/Ukrainian Г is the reason why a lot foreign names with Latin letter H are transliterated with Г in Russian and the words are pronounced as G (in "get)"). They were meant to be pronounced Ukrainian way but if you do, you will sound rustic.
Гигиена, гиена, Гейне, Гамбург, гамбургер, и т. д.

The mix-up of the Russian/Ukrainian Г is the reason why a lot foreign names with Latin letter H are transliterated with Г in Russian and the words are pronounced as G (in "get)"). They were meant to be pronounced Ukrainian way but if you do, you will sound rustic.
Гигиена, гиена, Гейне, Гамбург, гамбургер, и т. д.

Someone said Ukrainians, southern Russians are unable to pronounce correct Russian Г. That's not true. They just can't be bothered or they don't want to take effort. If they want to sound educated, they will do so. Habits can be quite strong, very often people forget that they try to sound right. A lot of people use Gorbachev as an example. He can pronounce the sound properly and he does quite often but he forgets and slips back to his southern accent. Some purists are irritated by the southern accent, some are not. My relative from the South always used Ukrainian Г but when he sang (he liked to sing with a guitar), he sang with a good Russian accent.

Anyway, Russian is pretty much the same all over Russia with very minor differences, dialects are almost inexistent if you compare with other countries: England, Germany, China (!). Some differences won't make your understanding too hard. The use of the Ukrainian Г is quite common in Russian and a lot of people still pronounce it that way but it's not hard for understanding. You'll have to learn to hear it.

Another way of looking at it is in London, English people drop there's Hs.
E.g. they don't say "Hat" they say "At", they don't say "hard" they say "ard".

If they want to they can say the Hs, but the dialect does not, so they don't. This is the way they grew up speaking and the people around them speak. If they want to sound educated they will pronounce the Hs.

I don't speak standard English, I have a regional accent. It doesn't mean I can't be bothered to speak properly.

Annoyingly, common London folk will drop the H of Hat, House, etc., but add an H sound at the beggining of the letters name, when as most educated people know "H" is called "ache" and NOT "hache".

"Hache" is one of my pet hates.

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

Originally Posted by Pravit

Southen Russians also pronounce the "г" as more of an "h" sound.

I know a guy from Rostov who can/ does say 'G'. You can't really get much more south than that, unless you're comming from the lovely vacation spot of grozny.

In live speaking there prictyse no difference, but it very important in writting. If u not use correct this letter hard "Ga" - "ґ" this mean u have problems with a grammar.

But if tell true difference in prononce betwean Ґ and Г is in more hard and sharp prononce Ґ (GH) with accent mark on this letter in words. For exemples ҐУДЗИКИ - (GHudzuku) buttons.

Enjoy

Originally Posted by Анатолий

Originally Posted by TATY

...
The Russians aren't much better though. They have the letter X but they insist on using Г for english H. X is much closer sounding.

Some foreign names were historically written with Г, where Х would be much closer. Germans are upset about their name Hans transliterated in Russian as Ганс (Gans), which means "goose" and "silly girl" in German. The reason being that Germanic H sounds like Ukrainian or dialectal Г to Russians and Ukrainian names were always spelled with Г. Also, there was probably an attempt to teach, which word was supposed to be pronounced as hard G and which with hard H. You should note that Russian Х is not like English H but like Scottish CH in Loch, or German "Bach". Ukrainian Г is voiced, not like English light H and in the end of the word may sound like Russian X.

It is correct to pronounce God (бог) as [бох].

Spelling these names with X is a mistake and in proper Russian they should be pronounsed as hard G.

Гейне, Гамбург, гамбургер, гигиена, гиена, Генрих, Генри, Голландия, гипноз, но

Some new borrowings. There is a trend to spell names and borrowed words with X
хокей, хот-дог, хостинг. Хелен Хант.

As for Southern Russia - generally people pronounce Ukrainian Г in the South but not all people. A lot of educated people try to sound educated and are careful with their speech. I, for one was born in Ukraine, lived in south Russia and spent many years in Ukraine again. I use hard G when I speak Russian, same with my family. Same applies to Russians in Ukraine, you can't say everybody in the South, Ukraine, Belarus use "Ukrainian" Г.

Waw. I see u speak about difference betwean russian Х and Г. This if speak clear and short very usual hard Г sound like a soft X. But if speak ab ukrainian lenguage there all thouse letters sound neatly and different! Don't forget it.

My boyfriend is from Ukraine and pronounces много as mnoha, whereas my friends from Russia pronounce it as mnoga. I pronounce it as mnoga because that's how I learned it and frequently hear it said like that.

Originally Posted by MalenkayaKatinka

My boyfriend is from Ukraine and pronounces много as mnoha, whereas my friends from Russia pronounce it as mnoga. I pronounce it as mnoga because that's how I learned it and frequently hear it said like that.

It's right for Russian. Prononcation of "h" instead "g" in Russian is considered as a strong dialectism.

http://www.bestofukraine.com/ukrainian.htm