localize-uk

Translate to Ukrainian (uk) — High-Fidelity Skill

Scope & Variants

Ukrainian is a single standard target — Modern Standard Ukrainian (літературна українська мова). No regional split for product UI:

Locale	Notes
`uk` / `uk-UA`	Standard Ukrainian (Ukraine). Default and only target.

Critical context for this skill: Ukrainian is NOT Russian. Many AI translators conflate them because they share Cyrillic script and Slavic structure, but they are distinct languages with distinct vocabulary, distinct letters, and (especially since 2022) strong political/cultural reasons NOT to mix them. Avoiding Russianisms is a top-tier quality concern.

Ukrainian vs Russian — letter and vocabulary identity

Ukrainian uses 4 letters Russian doesn't:

Ukrainian	Used for	Russian equivalent
і	/i/ sound (most common Ukrainian vowel)	и (different sound)
ї	/ji/ sound	doesn't exist
є	/je/ sound	е (different)
ґ	/g/ hard sound (used in foreign words)	г

Russian uses 4 letters Ukrainian doesn't: ы, э, ъ, ё. Any of these appearing in Ukrainian text means a Russian word leaked in.

Common Ukrainian vs Russian vocabulary (the surface markers a translation must NOT mix):

English	✓ Ukrainian	✗ Russian (do NOT use in uk)
currently / now	наразі / зараз	сейчас
also	також	тоже
own (adj.)	власний	собственный
print (v.)	друкувати	печатать
ok / fine	гаразд / добре	хорошо / ладно
thank you	дякую	спасибо
please	будь ласка	пожалуйста
city	місто	город
only	лише / тільки	только
almost	майже	почти
together	разом	вместе
year	рік	год
month	місяць	месяц
Tuesday	вівторок	вторник
Monday	понеділок	понедельник
green	зелений	зелёный
who	хто	кто
what	що	что
where	де	где
when	коли	когда
if	якщо	если
because	тому що / адже	потому что
user	користувач	пользователь
computer	комп'ютер	компьютер (note: no apostrophe in Russian)
settings	налаштування	настройки
password	пароль	пароль (same)
account	обліковий запис / акаунт	учётная запись
file	файл	файл (same)
folder	папка / тека	папка (same)
email	електронна пошта / ел. пошта	электронная почта
download (v.)	завантажити	загрузить / скачать
save (v.)	зберегти	сохранить
delete (v.)	видалити	удалить

If a Ukrainian translation contains сейчас, тоже, пожалуйста, сохранить, удалить, пользователь, настройки, только, почти, вместе — IT'S WRONG. Fix to the Ukrainian equivalents.

Register Auto-Detection (Apply Before Translating)

Ukrainian has a strong T-V distinction (Ви/ти). Auto-detect from source:

Source signal	Target register
Casual / conversational / personal (`Hey!`, contractions, emoji, marketing voice, gaming, social)	Informal (ти) — `ти` lowercase, 2nd-person sg. verb endings (`-еш/-иш`: можеш, бачиш), familiar imperative (singular form: вибери, натисни, відкрий).
Neutral product UI / docs / consumer software (DEFAULT)	Formal (Ви) — `Ви` capitalized for direct address, 2nd-person pl. verb endings (`-ете/-іте`: можете, бачите), polite imperative (`-ть/-іть`: виберіть, натисніть, відкрийте). Possessive `Ваш/Ваша/Ваше` also capitalized.
Legal / banking / government / enterprise B2B	Formal (Ви) elevated — same `Ви` form but full constructions, no contractions, prefer reflexive impersonal (`Виконується`), use formal vocabulary (`обліковий запис` over `акаунт`; `електронна пошта` over `імейл`).

Hard rule: never mix levels in one text. A string with Ви можете (formal verb) and твої налаштування (informal possessive) is broken.

Capitalization rule for Ви: Ви / Ваш / Ваша / Ваше / Ваші / Вам / Вас are capitalized in direct second-person address. Failing to capitalize is read as informal even if the verb forms are formal.

Default for software UI: Ви (formal) unless brand voice is explicitly youth/casual.

Critical Hard Rules (Severity ≥ 2.0 — Auto-Fail If Wrong)

1. Ukrainian identity — NOT Russian (severity 2.5)

Documented above. The single most important Ukrainian rule. Check for Russian letters (ы, э, ъ, ё) and Russian vocabulary in your translation. Replace with Ukrainian equivalents.

2. Word integrity — verb prefixes NEVER split (severity 3.0)

Ukrainian verbs with prefixes are single words. Splitting them is a critical error.

✗ Wrong (split)	✓ Correct (joined)
`по будувати`	`побудувати` (to build)
`пере класти`	`перекласти` (to translate)
`ви конати`	`виконати` (to execute)
`на діслати`	`надіслати` (to send)
`за вантажити`	`завантажити` (to load/upload)
`від крити`	`відкрити` (to open)
`при йняти`	`прийняти` (to accept)
`роз почати`	`розпочати` (to begin)

Reflexive -ся / -сь is ATTACHED (different from West/South Slavic) — it's a suffix, NOT a separate word in Ukrainian.

завантажується ✓ (loads) — not завантажує ся and not завантажуєся (missing letter).
реєструватися ✓ / реєструватись ✓ (both forms acceptable in infinitive).

Negation не rule:

не + verb → separate word: не забуду, не знаю, не натискайте.
не + adjective/noun (forming a word) → prefix attached: невидимий, неуспіх, неможливо, неправда.

3. Apostrophe usage (severity 2.0)

Ukrainian uses an apostrophe (') after labials (б / п / в / м / ф) and р before iotated vowels (я / ю / є / ї). This is mandatory — missing apostrophes are wrong.

✗ Wrong	✓ Correct	English
компютер	комп'ютер	computer
обєкт	об'єкт	object
субєкт	суб'єкт	subject
пять	п'ять	five
память	пам'ять	memory
імя	ім'я	name
сімя	сім'я	family
Кєв	К'єв would be wrong; the actual word is Київ (Kyiv, no apostrophe needed because к isn't a labial)	Kyiv
розязати	розв'язати	to solve

The Unicode apostrophe ' (U+2019, RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK) is preferred over the ASCII ' (U+0027) in published text, but ASCII ' is acceptable in UI strings where typography is not curated.

4. Seven-case system (severity 2.5)

Ukrainian uses all 7 Slavic cases, including an active vocative (used much more than in Russian). Every noun, adjective, and pronoun declines.

Case	Question	Use	Example (m. sg. "користувач" — user)	Example (f. sg. "система" — system)
Називний (NOM)	хто? що?	Subject	користувач	система
Родовий (GEN)	кого? чого?	Possession, "of", absence, 5+ count	користувача	системи
Давальний (DAT)	кому? чому?	Indirect object, "to"	користувачу / користувачеві	системі
Знахідний (ACC)	кого? що?	Direct object	користувача (animate=GEN) / файл (inanimate=NOM)	систему
Орудний (INS)	ким? чим?	"With", means	користувачем	системою
Місцевий (LOC)	на/у кому? чому?	Location (always w/ prep)	користувачі (на користувачеві)	системі (у системі)
Кличний (VOC)	—	Direct address — ACTIVE in Ukrainian	користувачу!	системо!

Critical: animate masculine accusative = genitive form. бачу користувача, NOT бачу користувач.

Vocative usage is REQUIRED for direct address (unlike Russian where it's archaic). When a Ukrainian product UI greets the user by name or addresses a role, use vocative:

✗ Russian-style (nominative for address)	✓ Ukrainian (vocative)
Привіт, Олександр!	Привіт, Олександре!
Шановний користувач!	Шановний користувачу!
Дякуємо, Марія!	Дякуємо, Маріє!

5. Preposition + governed case (severity 2.5)

Preposition	Case	Example
у / в (in/into)	LOC (location) / ACC (motion)	у системі / у систему
на (on/onto)	LOC / ACC	на сервері / на сервер
з / зі / із (with/from)	INS ("with") / GEN ("from")	з користувачем / з папки
без (without)	GEN	без помилок
для (for)	GEN	для користувача
від (from)	GEN	від користувача
до (until/to)	GEN	до кінця
про (about)	ACC	про користувача
по (per / along)	LOC / DAT (with rate)	на день
перед (before)	INS	перед збереженням
після (after)	GEN	after login
for (per / behind)	INS / ACC	per day

"per" in Ukrainian: use preposition + case, NOT the calque пер.

per day → for the day / every day
per file → per file / per file
per user → per user / per user

6. Verb-governed case (severity 2.0)

Specific verbs require specific cases. Wrong case = critical error.

Verb	Governs	Example
to help (help)	dative	to help the user (NOT the user's)
to thank (thank)	dative	thank you You
to manage/control (manage/control)	instrumental	to manage the system (NOT the system)
to use (use)	instrumental	to use the service
to own (own)	instrumental	to own knowledge
to achieve (achieve)	genitive	to achieve a result (NOT result)
to avoid (avoid)	genitive	to avoid a mistake
to need (need)	genitive	to need help
to meet (meet)	INS with з-	to meet with the user

7. Relative pronoun agreement (який / яка / яке / які) (severity 2.5)

The relative pronoun MUST agree with its antecedent in gender and number:

Antecedent	Pronoun
Masc. sg. (`додаток`)	which (masc.)
Fem. sg. (`система`)	which (fem.)
Neut. sg. (`налаштування`)	which (neut.)
Pl. (`файли`)	which (pl.)

✗ Wrong	✓ Correct
system, which (masc.) works	a system that works
application, which (fem.) launched	an application that is launched
files, which (neut.) loaded	files that are loaded

8. ICU plurals — one / few / many / other (1 / 2-4 / 5-20+ pattern) (severity 2.5)

{count, plural,
  one {# файл}
  few {# файли}
  many {# файлів}
  other {# файла}
}

CLDR plural category boundaries:

Category	Rule	Examples	Noun form
`one`	n % 10 = 1, n % 100 ≠ 11	1, 21, 31, 41, 101, 121	NOM singular (file)
`few`	n % 10 ∈ {2,3,4}, n % 100 ∉ {12,13,14}	2, 3, 4, 22, 23, 24, 102, 103	NOM plural (files)
`many`	n % 10 = 0 OR n % 10 ∈ {5-9} OR n % 100 ∈ {11-14}	0, 5-20, 25-30, 100, 1000	GEN plural (files)
`other`	fractions	1.5, 2.5	GEN singular (file)

Critical: 11/12/13/14 use many (exceptions to the otherwise simple "ends in 1/2-4" pattern). Same pattern as Russian.

9. Numeral-noun agreement (severity 2.0)

The plural-form rule manifests directly in numeral constructions:

Count	Pattern	Example
1	NOM sg	1 file, 1 user
2, 3, 4	NOM pl (NOT GEN sg like Croatian/Russian-Slavic-style!)	2 files, 3 users
5+	GEN pl	5 files, 10 users
11-14	GEN pl (exception)	11 files, 12 systems
21	NOM sg (back to "one")	21 files
22-24	NOM pl	22 files
25+	GEN pl	25 files

Note vs other Slavic languages: Ukrainian uses nominative plural for 2-4 (like Russian), NOT genitive singular (which is Croatian/Bosnian). Don't apply Croatian/Serbian patterns here.

10. Three-gender adjective agreement (severity 2.0)

Gender	Indef. example	Adjective ending (sg.)
Masculine (consonant ending)	user, file	new user, new file
Feminine (-а/-я ending)	system, information	new system, new information
Neuter (-о/-е ending)	setting, window	new setting, new window

Wrong gender adjective is auto-fail: нова файл ✗, новий система ✗, нова налаштування ✗.

11. Past-tense gender agreement (severity 1.5)

Past tense in Ukrainian is the AUX-less L-participle (the AUX бути is dropped in present-day Ukrainian past), which agrees with subject in gender + number:

Subject	L-participle	Example
m. sg.	-в	he worked
f. sg.	-ла	she worked
n. sg.	-ло	it worked
pl.	-ли	they worked

вона працював ✗ → вона працювала ✓.

12. Verb-construction integrity — no stacked finite verbs (severity 2.0)

English -ing (gerund as adverbial: "I spent 6 years building...") MUST be rendered with dieprislivnyk (verbal adverb, verbal adverb in -чи / -ючи / -ачи), NOT a second finite clause.

✗ Stacked finite	✓ Verbal adverb (-чи)	English
`Провів 6 років будував бізнес`	`Провів 6 років будуючи бізнес`	I spent 6 years building the business
`Працював поки писав звіт`	`Працював пишучи звіт`	I worked while writing the report
`Вона провела час чекала результати`	`Вона провела час чекаючи результати`	She spent time waiting for results

Common -чи forms (imperfective verbs only):

Infinitive	-чи form	English
чекати	чекаючи	waiting
писати	пишучи	writing
будувати	будуючи	building
читати	читаючи	reading
думати / розмірковувати	розмірковуючи	thinking
використовувати	використовуючи	using
приходити	приходячи	coming
працювати	працюючи	working
говорити	говорячи	speaking
перекладати	перекладаючи	translating

13. Complex constructions — щоб and перед (severity 2.0)

щоб (so that / in order to) requires infinitive or past tense, NOT present indicative:
- ✗ щоб ви зберігаєте → ✓ щоб зберегти / щоб ви зберегли
перед (before) requires instrumental verbal noun, OR use перш ніж + infinitive:
- ✗ перед зберігаєте → ✓ перед збереженням / перш ніж зберегти

14. Ellipsis completion — explicit nouns after numbers (severity 1.5)

Ukrainian requires explicit nouns after numbers and quantifiers; bare "5 others" sounds incomplete.

✗ Bare	✓ Explicit
4 other	4 more items / 4 other files
and 3 more	and 3 more files / and 3 additional

15. False-friend: збуджений has sexual connotation (severity 2.0)

The Ukrainian word збуджений literally means "excited" but in modern usage carries a strong sexual/arousal connotation. NEVER use it as the casual "I'm excited (looking forward)" translation.

✗ Wrong (awkward / sexual)	✓ Correct
Я збуджений!	Я в захваті! / З нетерпінням чекаю! / Я радий/рада!
Збуджуючий продукт	Захоплюючий продукт / Цікавий продукт
Збуджена аудиторія	Захоплена аудиторія / Зацікавлена аудиторія

16. Diacritics and special letters — preserve (severity 2.5)

Ukrainian uses і, ї, є, ґ, ʼ (apostrophe). Never strip them. Stripping the apostrophe in комп'ютер to компютер is a critical readability failure.

Pronouns and Possessives

Personal pronouns

English	Ukrainian	Notes
I	я
you (sg. informal)	ти
you (sg./pl. formal — capitalize)	Ви	Always capitalized in direct address
you (pl. informal)	ви	lowercase when truly plural informal
he	він
she	вона
it	воно
we	ми
they	вони

Possessive pronouns (agree with possessed noun's gender/number/case)

Person	m. sg.	f. sg.	n. sg.
мій (my)	мій	моя	моє
твій (your sg. informal)	твій	твоя	твоє
Ваш (your formal — capitalize)	Ваш	Ваша	Ваше
його (his — invariable)	його	його	його
її (her — invariable)	її	її	її
свій (reflexive — own)	свій	своя	own
our (our)	our	our	our
their (their)	their	their	their

Reflexive свій is used when the possessor is the subject of the same clause:

Він зберігає свій файл. (He saves his own file.) ← reflexive
Він зберігає його файл. (He saves someone else's file.) ← different referent

UI Conventions

Buttons — INFINITIVE (the Ukrainian UI convention)

Unlike Croatian/Serbian/Russian where buttons take imperative, Ukrainian platform UIs (Windows UA, Android UA, Chrome UA) use INFINITIVE for buttons. This is a deliberate convention choice and matches what users see in their OS.

English	✓ Infinitive (button)	(Imperative — for instruction prose)
Save	Save	Save
Cancel	Cancel	Cancel
Delete	Delete	Delete
Send	Send	Send
Edit	Edit / Change	Edit
Search	Search	Search
Confirm	Confirm	Confirm
Continue	Continue	Continue
Submit	Send / Confirm	—
Sign in / Log in	Log in	Log in
Sign out	Log out	Log out
Sign up	Sign up	Sign up
Next	Next / Next	—
Back	Back	—
Done	Done / Completed	—
OK	OK / OK	—
Close	Close	Close
Upload	Download	—
Download	Download	—
Refresh	Refresh	Refresh
Settings	Settings	—
Apply	Apply	—
Reset	Reset	—
Select all	Select all	—
Deselect all	Deselect all	—
Add more	Add more (NOT `Додати більше`)	—

Note: upload and download are both завантажити in modern Ukrainian — context disambiguates (завантажити на сервер = upload, завантажити з сервера = download). For UI buttons, the bare Завантажити is standard.

For action instructions / longer hints, use imperative (formal -ть/-іть or informal -ь/-и):

✓ Натисніть, щоб продовжити (Click to continue)
✓ Введіть свій пароль (Enter your password)

Status messages — three distinct patterns

Ongoing (in-flight) → imperfective reflexive (-ється) OR In progress + verbal noun (NEVER first-person)

English	✓ Ukrainian
Loading…	Loading… / Loading in progress…
Saving…	Saving… / Saving in progress…
Sending…	Sending… / Sending in progress…
Processing…	Processing… / Processing in progress…
Connecting…	Connecting… / Connection in progress…
Searching…	Searching in progress… / Searching…
Translating…	Translating… / Translation in progress…
Please wait	Please wait / Please wait…

Critical impersonal voice rule: NEVER use first-person (Обчислюю…, Аналізую…, Обробляю…) — sounds awkward and unnatural in Ukrainian UI status. Always impersonal.

Completed → Neuter perfective participle (-но / -то) — impersonal completion form

English	✓ Ukrainian
Saved	Saved
Done	Done / Completed
Translation complete	Translation completed / Translated
File uploaded	File uploaded
Sent	Sent
Payment successful	Payment made / Paid

Critical: Use the -но/-то impersonal neuter participle, NOT personal past tense:

✗ Переклад завершився → ✓ Переклад завершено
✗ Файл збережений → ✓ Файл збережено
✗ Завантаження закінчилось → ✓ Завантажено / Завантаження завершено

Failed → Не вдалося + infinitive OR Помилка + GEN of verbal noun

English	✓ Ukrainian
Save failed	Failed to save / Save error
Upload failed	Failed to upload / Upload error
Translation failed	Failed to translate / Translation error
Connection failed	Failed to connect / Connection error
File not found	File not found

NEVER use:

✗ Переклад провалився (too informal/slangy)
✗ Збереження неуспішне (calque)
✗ Завантаження провалилось (slangy)

Empty states — `Немає + GEN` / `Не знайдено`

✗ Verbose	✓ Concise
No results were found	No results
You don't have any projects yet	No projects yet
No files matching the query were found	No matching files
No data	No data

Drag-and-drop

drag → drag (Vi) / drag (you)
drop (= place files) → here (use the verb перетягніть + here)
release → drop (Vi) / drop (you)
Combined: Перетягніть файли сюди (Drag files here) / Відпустіть для завантаження (Release to upload).

Звільніть ✗ (means "liberate"/"set free" — wrong sense for DnD). Упустіть / Кинути ✗ (means accidentally drop/throw — wrong for intentional file placement).

File picker — `Вибрати` not `Переглянути`

Standard in Chrome UA / Windows UA / macOS UA:

✗ Older / navigation	✓ Modern / action-oriented
Browse files	Select files
Browse file	Select file
click to view	click to select

Quantity expressions

✗ Calque	✓ Native Ukrainian
25+ languages	over 25 languages
+{count} more	and {count} more
+25 new features	over 25 new features / more than 25 new features

Додати більше ✗ (literal "add more") → Додати ще ✓ (idiomatic).

Error messages — what + next step

✗ Bare	✓ With next step
File not found.	File not found. Check the path.
Network error.	Network error. Try again.
Invalid email.	The email address is invalid. Check the format.
Failed to log in.	Failed to log in. Check the username and password.

No comma before або: Спробуйте ще раз або зверніться до підтримки. ✓ (NOT Спробуйте ще раз, або зверніться…).

Punctuation, Numbers, Dates, Currency

Punctuation

Mark	Ukrainian	Notes
Question mark	`?`	Same as English
Comma	`,`	Different conjunction rules
Period	`.`	Same
Colon	`:`	Same
Quotation marks	«…» (angle quotes/guillemets) primary, `„…"` nested	Same as Russian primary; never use English `"…"` in editorial copy
Apostrophe	`'` (curly) preferred; `'` ASCII acceptable	Used inside words: комп'ютер
Em-dash	`—`	Used for copular sentences: `Київ — столиця України`

Comma rules

Rule	Example
NO comma before `і / й` (and)	Select a file і click.
NO comma before `або / чи` (or)	Select a file or folder.
NO comma before `та` (and, formal)	quickly and effectively.
Comma before `що` (that, subordinating)	I see that file is open.
Comma before `який / яка / яке / які` (relative)	File, which saved…
Comma before `щоб` (in order to)	Click, to continue.
Comma before `якщо` (if)	Save, if you wish.
Comma before `коли` (when)	Wait, when it loads.
Comma before `але / а / проте` (but/contrast)	Quickly, but effectively.

Numbers

Format	Pattern	Example
Thousands separator	space	1 234 567
Decimal separator	comma (,)	3,14 / 99,99
Negative	`-25`
Percent	`25%`

Critical: Ukrainian uses space for thousands, comma for decimal. Never 1,234.56.

Dates

Format	Example	Use
DD.MM.YYYY	15.01.2024	Default for UI / business
D MMMM YYYY р.	January 15, 2024	Long-form prose (month in genitive, `р.` = `року` = "of the year")
D MMMM YYYY year	January 15, 2024	Formal documents
YYYY-MM-DD	2024-01-15	Technical/API only

Ukrainian month names (lowercase always, declines):

#	Nominative	Genitive (used in dates!)
1	January	January
2	February	February
3	March	March
4	April	April
5	May	May
6	June	June
7	July	July
8	August	August
9	September	September
10	October	October
11	November	November
12	December	December

Critical: in dates, the month is in genitive — 15 січня 2024 р. not 15 січень 2024 р.. Like Croatian, unlike Russian where the form is the same.

Weekdays (lowercase): Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Week starts Monday.

Time

24-hour preferred: 14:30 or о 14:30 (at 14:30).
12-hour rarely used.

Currency — Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH / ₴ / грн)

Format	Pattern	Example
Symbol	`₴` or `грн` after amount with space	99,99 ₴ / 99.99 UAH
ISO code	UAH	99,99 UAH

For USD/EUR context: 99,99 $ or 99,99 € (after amount).

Terminology — preferred Ukrainian terms

English	✓ Ukrainian preferred	✗ Avoid (Russian / anglicism)
user	user	user, user
account	account (formal) / account (acceptable)	account
password	password	—
settings	settings	settings, settings
dashboard	control panel	dashboard
email	email / email (formal) / email (acceptable casual)	email
link	link	link
website	website / site	—
folder	folder / folder	—
file	file	—
device	device	device
phone	phone / mobile	—
computer	computer (with apostrophe!)	computer
application / app	application / app / application	application
update (v.)	update	update
save	save	save
delete	delete	delete
upload	upload (to server)	download
download	download (from server)	download
sign in / log in	log in	log in
sign up	sign up	sign up
search	search / search	—
click	click (preferred) / click (acceptable)	—
share	share	share
profile	profile	—
notifications	notifications	notifications
privacy	confidentiality / privacy	—
terms	terms	—
support	support	—
help	help	—
feedback	feedback	—
menu	menu	—
home	home	—
logout	log out	—
browser	browser / browser	—
screen	screen	—
keyboard	keyboard	—
mouse	mouse	—
token	token	token
endpoint	endpoint	—
authentication	authentication	—
authorization	authorization	—
API	API (keep — Latin always)	—
build (software)	create / build	build (= construction)
deploy	deploy / publish	—
pipeline (CI/CD)	pipeline (keep)	—
commit (git)	commit (keep) / save changes	—
merge (git)	merge	—
repository	repository	—
sync	synchronization / synchronize	—

Tech identifiers — keep in Latin script even inside Cyrillic text

Inside Ukrainian Cyrillic text, the following ALWAYS stay in Latin:

Programming languages: Python, JavaScript, Go, Rust, Java
Frameworks: React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, Django
Tools: Git, GitHub, GitLab, Docker, npm, pip, cargo
Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, REST, GraphQL, OAuth, JWT
File formats: JSON, XML, YAML, CSV, PDF
Brands: Google, Microsoft, Apple, iPhone, Android
Commands, file paths, URLs, code snippets
Placeholders: {variableName}, {{count}}, <tag>

✓ Correct: Git репозиторій синхронізовано. (Cyrillic prose, Latin Git) ✓ Correct: API ключ недійсний. (Cyrillic prose, Latin API) ✓ Correct: Дані у форматі JSON. (Cyrillic prose, Latin JSON) ✗ Wrong: Ґіт репозиторій (transliterating Git to Cyrillic) ✗ Wrong: АПІ ключ (transliterating API) ✗ Wrong: ДЖСОН формат (transliterating JSON)

False Friends — Critical

Ukrainian word	Actually means	NOT this	Correct for the English
excited	aroused (sexual) / excited (in tense context)	"excited (looking forward)"	"excited" → thrilled / glad / look forward to
current	current / topical / relevant	"actual"	"actual" → actual / real
implement	to implement / carry out	"to realize (understand)"	"realize (understand)" → realize
control	to check / monitor / verify	"to control (manage)"	"control (manage)" → manage
eventually	(this isn't even a word — but `можливо` is "possibly")	"eventually"	"eventually" → eventually / eventually / over time
likeable	likeable / pleasant	"sympathetic (compassionate)"	"sympathetic" → sympathetic
routine	routine (as a procedure, often pejorative)	(mostly OK in tech: "routine tasks")	—
factory	factory (industrial only)	"factory" in software (e.g., factory pattern)	"factory pattern" → keep as `фабрика (патерн)` for clarity

Calque / Anti-Pattern List

✗ Calque	✓ Native Ukrainian	Reason
make sense	make sense / be logical	"Makes sense" calque
at the end of the day	eventually / eventually	"At the end of the day" calque
take place	happen / took place	"Take place" calque
based on	based on	"Based on" calque
in order to	so that / so that	"In order to" calque
This is...	This...	"This is..." — `є` is redundant
File cannot be found	File not found	Passive calque; use impersonal `-но`
In case	If	"In case if" — verbose
Default value	Default value	Wrong word order
Auto-detected	Automatically detected	"Auto-X" — use full adverb
Translated results (header)	Translation results	English Past-Participle + Noun → Ukrainian Noun + Genitive of verbal noun
Uploaded files (header)	Files to upload	Same pattern
language option (N + N compound)	language settings / language selection	English N+N → Ukrainian adj+N or genitive
project folder	project folder / project folder	English N+N → genitive or adjective
user settings	user settings / personal settings	English N+N → adj or genitive
tone preference	desired tone / tone selection	Anglicism noun → native adj
perform improvement	improve	"Make improvements" — use verb
provide a response	respond	"Provide an answer" — use verb
make a selection	select	"Make a selection" — use verb
on a daily basis	daily / daily	"On a daily basis" calque
per file	per file / per file	"per X" calque — use preposition+case
Fast translation. Secure. Reliable.	Fast, secure and reliable translations	English telegram-style fragments → complete Ukrainian noun phrase with agreement
Simple setup	Simple setup	Gender disagreement — `налаштування` is neuter
United States of America (in UI)	USA	UI short form
United Kingdom (full in UI)	Great Britain / Great Britain / UK	UI short form
Drag files	Drag files	English verb → native
Release to upload	Release to upload	"release" = `відпустити`, not `звільнити` (= liberate)
Drop files here	Drag files here	`упустити` = drop accidentally — wrong sense
Translation failed	Failed to translate / Translation error	Slangy → impersonal failure construction
File saved	File saved	Personal passive → impersonal -но form
Translation completed	Translation completed / Translated	Personal → impersonal
Deselect all	Cancel all / Clear selection	Button brevity
Select all	Select all	Button brevity / redundancy
Add more	Add more	"Add more" — use idiomatic `ще`
AI-driven	AI-based / using AI	"X-powered" calque
data-driven	data-based / data-oriented	"X-driven" calque

Custom Sections

Per/for/rate — semantic distinction

Source	✓ Ukrainian	Meaning
per language (rate)	per language / per language	rate, per-unit
for 25 languages (total)	for 25 languages	total scope
5 USD per language	5 USD per language	rate
5 USD for all languages	5 USD for all languages	total
per day	per day / daily	per-day
per user	per user / per user	per-user

Cost / estimate ordering

Amount-first:

✗ Ambiguous	✓ Clear
5 languages 25 credits	25 credits for 5 languages

Time / duration

English	✓ Ukrainian
30 seconds remaining	30 s left
5 minutes remaining	5 min left
2 hours remaining	2 h left
3 days remaining	3 days left

залишилося is the preferred form for "remaining". Always space between number and unit.

UI element references in prose

Use quotation marks for specific UI labels:

✗ Compound	✓ Quoted label
Click the Save button	Click the "Save" button
Open the Settings tab	Open the "Settings" tab
Use the Name field	Use the "Name" field

Brand names + Ukrainian declension

Foreign brand names CAN be declined with Latin + hyphen + Ukrainian ending (informal), OR stay invariant (formal/UI default):

Google → Google-а (gen.), Google-у (dat./loc.), Google-ом (ins.) — informal/conversational
For formal UI, prefer prepositional phrases: на платформі Google.
iPhone → iPhone-а, iPhone-у
GitHub → GitHub-а, GitHub-у

Self-Check Checklist (Run Before Returning Output)

Ukrainian identity (auto-fail on miss)

Ukrainian letters used: і / ї / є / ґ where appropriate.
No Russian letters: no ы / э / ъ / ё.
No Russian vocabulary: no сейчас / тоже / собственный / печатать / спасибо / пожалуйста / хорошо / сохранить / удалить / пользователь / настройки / только / почти / вместе / город / месяц / вторник / понедельник / что / где / когда / если / потому что.
Apostrophes present where required: комп'ютер, об'єкт, п'ять, пам'ять, ім'я, сім'я.

Accuracy

Word integrity — prefixes joined (перекласти, виконати, надіслати, завантажити). Reflexive -ся / -сь attached as suffix (завантажується).
не separation rule: separate with verbs (не натискайте), attached as prefix with adjectives/nouns (невидимий, неможливо).
Gender agreement on every noun-adj pair (новий файл / нова система / нове налаштування).
Seven cases correct, especially:
- Animate masc. accusative = genitive (бачу користувача).
- Instrumental after з / зі (з користувачем, з Вами).
- Locative after у / на / о / по (у системі, на сервері).
- Genitive after без / для / від / до / з (=from) (без помилок).
- Vocative for direct address (Олександре!, користувачу!).
Verb-governed case: допомагати+dat, керувати+ins, досягти+gen.
Relative pronoun agreement (який/яка/яке/які matches antecedent).
Complex constructions: щоб + infinitive/past, перед + INS noun, перш ніж + infinitive.
ICU plurals: one / few / many / other categories present (1 / 2-4 / 5-20+ / fractions). 11-14 use many.
Numeral-noun agreement matches plural pattern (Ukrainian: 2-4 = NOM pl, NOT GEN sg like Croatian!).
Verb aspect correct: perfective for completed (buttons via infinitive use perfective; completion uses -но/-то), imperfective for ongoing (status uses reflexive imperfective).
Past-tense gender agreement on L-participle (працював / працювала / працювало).
No stacked finite verbs from English -ing — use -чи diiepryslivnyk.
Ellipsis completion: explicit noun after numbers (ще 4 елементи, not bare 4 інших).
Placeholders preserved ({var}, {{count}}, <tag>, URLs, code identifiers).
Latin tech identifiers: Git, API, JSON, npm, etc. stay in Latin.
Numbers: comma decimal (3,14), space thousands (1 234), грн or ₴ after amount.
Dates: DD.MM.YYYY default; 15 січня 2024 р. long form with month in genitive.
Time: 24-hour, 14:30 or о 14:30.
per with rate uses preposition + case (за мову, на день), NEVER пер.

Register

Ви/ти chosen and applied consistently — pronouns, possessives, verb endings, imperatives all match.
Ви / Ваш / Ваша / Ваше capitalized in direct address.
No mixing of formal verb ending with informal possessive within one text.

UI conventions

Buttons use INFINITIVE (Зберегти, Видалити, Скасувати), the Ukrainian platform convention.
Status ongoing: imperfective reflexive (-ється) or Триває + verbal noun (NEVER first-person Обчислюю).
Status completed: neuter perfective participle -но / -то (Перекладено, Файл збережено), NOT personal past (Файл збережений).
Status failed: Не вдалося + infinitive OR Помилка + GEN, NEVER провалився (slangy) or неуспішне (calque).
Empty state: Немає + GEN with specific noun.
File picker: Вибрати, not Переглянути.
Drag-drop: Перетягніть + Відпустіть (NOT звільніть, упустіть).
Quantity: понад 25, та ще {count}, NOT 25+, +{count}.
Error messages include next step.

Naturalness

No English calques (робити сенс, в кінці дня, базуючись на, в порядку, щоб, Це є, на дневній базі).
Past-Participle + Noun headers → Noun + Genitive of verbal noun (Результати перекладу).
Auto-X prefix → full adverb (Автоматично виявлено).
English N + N compounds → Ukrainian adj + N or genitive.
No verbose collocations (провести покращення → покращити).
No false friends: збуджений ≠ excited, актуальний ≠ actual, реалізувати ≠ realize, контролювати ≠ control (manage).
Ukrainian months in genitive in date prose (15 січня 2024).
«…» Ukrainian quotation marks (NOT English "…").
No comma before і / й / або / чи / та.
Comma before що / який / щоб / якщо / коли / але / а / проте.

Worked Example — Standard uk formal UI

Source (neutral product UI):

Welcome back! You have 3 new files in your account. Click Continue to review them or Cancel to stay here. Saving your changes…

Register check: neutral product UI, exclamation → Ви (formal), infinitive buttons.

Translation:

Welcome back! You have 3 new files on your account. Click Continue, to view them, or Cancel, to stay here. Saving…

Why this works:

Вітаємо знову — standard greeting, plural verb form (impersonal "we welcome").
У Вас — formal Ви, capitalized.
3 нові файли — 3 triggers few (NOM pl); файл is m.; нові is m. pl. agreeing.
на Вашому обліковому записі — на + LOC; записі is m. LOC sg.; Вашому agreeing in LOC; обліковому agreeing.
Buttons in infinitive: Продовжити, Скасувати.
щоб переглянути / щоб залишитися — щоб + perfective infinitive (correct construction).
Status: Зберігається… — imperfective reflexive (impersonal, not first-person Зберігаю…).
Comma before щоб ✓; no comma before або ✓.
No Russian vocabulary.

Same string informal (ти):

Welcome back! You have 3 new files on your account. Click Continue, to view them, or Cancel, to stay here. Saving…

(У Вас → У тебе, Ваш → твій, Натисніть → Натисни.)

Worked Example — Vocative for direct address

Source: Hello, Alexander! Welcome back.

✗ Wrong (Russian-style nominative):

Hi, Oleksandr! Welcome back.

✓ Correct (Ukrainian vocative):

Hi, Oleksandre! Welcome back.

Other vocative examples:

Mark → Marku (Марк → Марку)
Maria → Mariie (Марія → Маріє)
Olena → Oleno (Олена → Олено)
User (formal) → to the user
Friend (formal) → friend (друг → друже)

Worked Example — ICU plural expansion

Source:

You have {count, plural, one {# new message} other {# new messages}}.

Translation (full Ukrainian four-category expansion):

У Вас {count, plural,
  one {# нове повідомлення}
  few {# нові повідомлення}
  many {# нових повідомлень}
  other {# нового повідомлення}
}.

Notes:

one: 1 нове повідомлення — n.sg. NOM (повідомлення is neuter, ends in -я).
few (2-4): 2 нові повідомлення — n. NOM pl.
many (5+, 11-14, 0): 5 нових повідомлень — n. GEN pl.
other (fractions): 2.5 нового повідомлення — n. GEN sg.

Worked Example — Date with genitive month

Source: Last login: January 15, 2024 at 2:30 PM