Cooking & Markets

1. Як приготувати борщ?

   Yak pryhotuvaty borshch?

   How do you make borscht?

   Usage

   Used to ask how to make a dish

   Grammar Note

   "Приготувати" is the perfective of "готувати" (to cook). "Борщ" is Ukraine's iconic beet soup.

2. Додайте сіль і перець за смаком.

   Dodayte sil i perets za smakom.

   Add salt and pepper to taste.

   Usage

   Used in cooking instructions for seasoning

   Grammar Note

   "За смаком" is an idiom meaning "to taste". "Додайте" is the polite imperative of "додати" (to add).

3. Смажте на середньому вогні п'ять хвилин.

   Smazhte na serednyomu vohni pyat khvylyn.

   Fry on medium heat for five minutes.

   Usage

   Used in cooking instructions for frying

   Grammar Note

   "На + locative" expresses means or state. "Вогні" is the locative of "вогонь" (fire). "П'ять" takes genitive plural "хвилин".

4. Киньте овочі у киплячу воду.

   Kynte ovochi u kyplyachu vodu.

   Put the vegetables into the boiling water.

   Usage

   Used in cooking instructions to add ingredients to boiling water

   Grammar Note

   "Кинути" means "to throw/put in". "Киплячу" is the accusative of "киплячий" (boiling), modifying "воду" (water).

5. Дайте тісту відпочити тридцять хвилин.

   Dayte tistu vidpochyty trydtsyat khvylyn.

   Let the dough rest for thirty minutes.

   Usage

   Used in baking instructions to rest the dough

   Grammar Note

   "Дати + dative + infinitive" is a causative construction meaning "let something do something". "Тісту" is the dative of "тісто" (dough).

6. Наріжте цибулю дрібними кубиками.

   Narizhte tsybulyu dribnymy kubykamy.

   Dice the onion into small cubes.

   Usage

   Used in cooking instructions for dicing

   Grammar Note

   "Дрібними кубиками" is the instrumental expressing manner. The instrumental is used for shape/method descriptions in cooking.

7. Перемішуйте постійно, щоб не підгоріло.

   Peremishuyte postiyno, shchob ne pidhorilo.

   Stir constantly so it doesn't burn.

   Usage

   Used in cooking instructions to prevent burning

   Grammar Note

   "Щоб не + verb" forms a purpose clause meaning "so that it doesn't". "Підгоріло" is the neuter past tense used in subjunctive clauses.

8. Дайте страві настоятися перед подачею.

   Dayte stravi nastoyatysya pered podacheyu.

   Let the dish sit before serving.

   Usage

   Used in cooking instructions to let a dish rest before serving

   Grammar Note

   The "-ся" in "настоятися" indicates reflexivity. "Перед + instrumental" = "before". "Подачею" is the instrumental of "подача" (serving).

9. Скільки грамів борошна потрібно?

   Skilky hramiv boroshna potribno?

   How many grams of flour are needed?

   Usage

   Used to ask the amount of flour in a recipe

   Grammar Note

   "Скільки + genitive" asks quantity. "Борошна" is the genitive of "борошно" (flour). "Потрібно" is an impersonal predicate meaning "needed".

10. Вареники готові, коли вони спливуть на поверхню.

    Varenyky hotovi, koly vony splyvut na poverkhnyu.

    Varenyky are ready when they float to the surface.

    Usage

    Used to describe the doneness of varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings)

    Grammar Note

    "Коли + future tense" forms a temporal clause meaning "when". "Спливуть" is the perfective future of "спливати" (to float up).

11. Тофу

    Tofu

    Tofu

    Usage

    Point at it to look for or order tofu; sold in large supermarkets and Asian groceries in Ukraine

12. Суп

    Sup

    Soup

    Usage

    Soup in general; borshch counts as one

13. Фрукти

    Frukty

    Fruit

    Usage

    Fruit, normally used in the plural; for a fruit counter or a fruit-containing dish

14. Часник

    Chasnyk

    Garlic

    Usage

    Used to check for garlic or ask for a dish without it

15. Цибуля

    Tsybulya

    Onion

    Usage

    Onion — Ukrainian uses "цибуля", not the Russian "лук"; spring onion is "зелена цибуля"

16. Перець чилі

    Perets chili

    Chilli pepper

    Usage

    "Перець" alone can mean black pepper or bell pepper, so keep "чилі" for the hot kind

17. Кінза

    Kinza

    Coriander leaf (cilantro)

    Usage

    The fresh leaf; the seed spice is a separate word, "коріандр"

18. Імбир

    Imbyr

    Ginger

    Usage

    Ginger, at a market or when ordering seasoning

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