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Home > Ukrainian Punctuation: Simple Rules for Beginners
Ukrainian Punctuation: Simple Rules for Beginners
Master basic Ukrainian punctuation rules — commas, dashes, colons, and even direct speech!
Mariana Vasylyk
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Ukrainians love punctuation — they tend to use it more often than in English! While many rules are similar, there are a few quirks to watch out for. In this article, we explain the most important Ukrainian punctuation rules for КОМА (comma), ТИРЕ (dash), and ДВОКРАПКА (colon).
Use this quick guide on basic Ukrainian punctuation to make your writing clearer, sharper, and more professional!
Comma vs Dash vs Colon
The most common punctuation marks in Ukrainian are commas, dashes, and colons. Most rules clearly define when to use each.
In general, a comma signals a short pause in speech. It’s used before conjunctions in complex sentences and to separate equal parts or independent clauses.
Dashes and colons, on the other hand, indicate a longer pause and are used to introduce explanations, add emphasis, or show contrast.
1) Однорідні члени речення — homogeneous parts of the sentence
Homogeneous parts of the sentence can be separated by commas, coordinating conjunctions, or a combination of both. Unlike in English, in Ukrainian we never place a comma before the coordinating conjunctions І (and), ЧИ (or), АБО (or) in a list, unless they are repeated twice or more:
However, there should always be a comma before the coordinating conjunctions А (and/but) and АЛЕ (but):
2) Складносурядні та безсполучникові речення— compound sentences
Compound sentences in Ukrainian are very common, both with and without a coordinating conjunction. In both cases, we separate clauses by a comma:
3)Складнопідрядні речення — complex sentences
When having a complex sentence, remember one simple rule — in Ukrainian, we place a comma before all subordinating conjunctions: ЩО, КОЛИ, ДЕ, ТОМУ, ТОМУ ЩО, etc.:
4) Вставні слова та конструкції — linking words, introductory phrases
When using a linking word or an introductory phrase — to express politeness, confidence, doubt, probability, indicate a source of information, or structure your speech — always set it off by a comma, whether it appears at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence:
5) Звертання — addresses
An address in the vocative case is always separated by a comma too, regardless of its position in a sentence:
ТИРЕ — Dash
1)Між підметом і присудком — between a subject and predicate
In Ukrainian, when both the subject and predicate are nouns, they are separated by a dash. Additionally, we often use ЦЕ between them:
2)Перед узагальнювальним словом — before a summarizing word
When we have a list, followed by a summarizing word (usually a noun, pronoun, or adverb), we use a dash after it:
3) Різка зміна — sudden change
Sometimes, we use a dash instead of a comma in compound sentences when we want to express a sudden change or contrast of clauses:
4) Наслідок— consequence
Similarly to a sudden change, a dash can express a consequence:
ДВОКРАПКА — Colon
1)Пояснення та причини — explanations and reasons
When the second clause of a compound sentence explains or gives reasons for the former, a colon is used:
2)Після узагальнювального слова — after a summarizing word
Unlike what we’ve discussed about the dash, when a list follows a summarizing word (usually a noun, pronoun, or adverb), we use a colon:
ПРЯМА МОВА — Direct Speech
Direct speech in Ukrainian combines many punctuation marks, sometimes confusing even to native speakers. Instead, it’s easier to remember patterns, depending on where the direct speech appears in a sentence.
If direct speech goes after the author’s words, we use a colon and quotation marks:
Pay attention that if direct speech ends with a question or exclamation mark which doesn’t relate to the whole sentence, we put it before quotation marks and then use a period at the end of the whole sentence:
When direct speech appears before the author’s words, we use a comma and a dash after quotation marks:
When direct speech ends with a question or exclamation mark, there is no comma after quotation marks:
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And that’s it for Ukrainian punctuation rules today! Knowing these basics will make your language sharper and brighter. Keep an eye out for them as you read, use them in your own writing, and let punctuation do its magic!
