Ostap Bobykevych 

Music Scores – Original Publication x 28
DUET: no. 27

WORK IN PROGRESS…

WORK IN PROGRESS…

Ukrainian Language Pronunciation Chart

The Audio Spoken Texts of the songs will help to clarify the rules below.

1. ‘j’ and the apostrophe ’ are pronounced similar to the ‘y’ in English: ‘yes’, ‘say’:

e.g. jabluko (apple), haj (grove), junyj (young),

e.g. n’i (no), d’ido (grandpa), l’ito (summer), z’irka (star) , ts’i (these),
horyt’ (it burns)

N.B. When the apostrophe follows the unvoiced consonants: ‘s’, ‘t’ and ‘ts’, the apostrophe will also be unvoiced:

e.g. dyvljus’ (I look), s’im (seven), t’i (those), ts’i (those) – as the ‘s’, ‘t’ and ‘ts’ are voiceless consonants, the following apostrophe is also voiceless, ie. a whispered, unvoiced ‘j’.

2. z.h compared with zh:
(i) z.h = ‘z’ + ‘h’ – 2 separate sounds
(ii) zh = voiced ‘sh’ as in vision – 1 sound

3. Ukrainian L

2 ways of pronouncing L in Ukrainian:

In the transliterated clusters: La, Le, Lo, Lu and Ly (pronounced as in English: sit – see chart below for Ukrainian И, и), L is pronounced further back in the mouth,
eg. as in English bottle;

The same applies if L is the last letter in a word or syllable, eg. zal (hall), pyl (dust), ry-bal-ka (fishing),
Even when the L is preceded by ‘i’, eg. rozd’il (chapter)

L is pronounced forward in the mouth as in English in 2 cases:

  • When followed by the letter ‘i’ as in leap, eg. L’ito (summer), L’ikar (doctor)

  • When followed by an apostrophe, eg. bil’ (pain), zhal’ (pity)

UKRAINIANTRANSLITERATION
Imagine pronouncing all
consonants as in Italian,
ie. less aspiration. All
vowels are pure, similar
to Italian. No
diphthongs
Examples taken from Italian
or English languages.
А, аa (as in Italian ‘caro’)
Б, бb
В, вv
Г, гh (as in English ‘house’)
Ґ, ґg (as in English ‘garden’)
Д, дd
Е, еe (as in Italian ‘mezzo’)
Є, єje (2 sounds as in English ‘yes’)
Ж, жZh (a voiced ‘sh’ as in
English ‘vision’)
З, зz
И, иy (as in English ‘sit’)
І, ii (as in English ‘sheet’)
Ï, їji (2 sounds as in English ‘yeast’)
Й, йj (as in English ‘yet’)
K, кk (unaspirated, as in Italian ‘caro’
Л, лL, l (see rule 3. above)
M, мm
Н, нn
O, оo (as in Italian ‘oro’)
П, пp (unaspirated, as in Italian ‘posso’)
Р, рr (rolled as in Italian ‘torre’
C, сs
T, тt (unaspirated, as in Italian ‘tempo’)
У, уu (as in Italian ‘puro’)
Ф, фf
Х, хkh (as in Scottish ‘Loch’)
Ц, цts (as in English ‘nets’)
Ч, чch
Ш, шsh
Щ, щshch (2 sounds as in English ‘moisture’) ie. ‘sh’ plus ‘ch’
Ю, юju (2 sounds, ‘j’ as in English ‘yes’ plus ‘u’ as in Italian ‘puro’)
Я, яja (2 sounds, as in English ‘yap’)
Ь, ь = gentle j (as in ‘say’)

Audio Spoken Texts

1. Freedom Beyond This World – O, volen’ko

2. Blossoming Flowers -Tsvitut’ kvitky

3. The Sea Pours Forth – Ll’et’sja more

4. Reflections – Duma

5. The Snows Shall Not Fall – Oj ne s’ijtes’ sn’ihy

6. Never To Have Loved – Ne topolju vysokuju

7. A Nightingale’s Song Pours Forth – Solovijova pisnja ll’et’sja

8. When I Die – Jak ja umru

9. O Cherished Word – O slovo ridne

10. Morning Still Slumbers – Shche ranok spyt’

11. A Burdened Soul – Choho men’i tjazhko

12. The Last Blossom – Ostann’i kvitky

13. Never Will I Wander Alone – Ja ne budu samotn’im n’ikoly blukat’

14. Do Not Sing Happy Songs – N’i, ne spivaj pisen’ veselykh

15. In Exile, Days Are Shed Like Tears – V vyhnann’i dn’i techut’ jak sl’ozy

16. A Poplar’s Lament – Oj u pol’i – Ой у полі

17. Unto The Mountains – Na hory vysoki, na sriblo sn’ihiv

18. Rejoice, Dear Mary – Radujsja Marije

19. Blessed Mother – Blahoslovenna Maty

20. Maria – Marija

21. A Plundered Grave – Rozryta mohyla

22. An Impure Heaven – I nebo nevmyte

23. My Tormented Thoughts – Dumy moji

24. Shall We Meet Again – Chy my shche z’ijdemosja znovu

25. A Coral Necklace – Jakby men’i, mamo, namysto

26. Dawn – Svitaje

27. A Floating Cloud – Za sontsem khmaron’ka plyve

28. O Holy, Beloved Land! – O, svjataja!