Ukrainian Phrasebook (Lonely Planet) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"...Lonely Planet phrase books have long taken a hip, streetwise approach." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 2004

"Lonely Planet Phrasebooks. Portable, pocket-size, cheap, and available for almost any country you might want to visit..." -- National Geographic Traveler, September 2006

National Geographic Traveler, September 2006
'Lonely Planet Phrasebooks. Portable, pocket-size, cheap, and available for almost any country you might want to visit...'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Wherever you go in Ukraine, you’ll soon be mingling with the locals. Packed with phrases on everything from bargaining at rynok to hiking and eating out, this book will spice up your Ukrainian adventure. Order you borshch in the local language, navigate the bustling streets of cosmopolitan Kyiv or try your hand at ice fishing. Whether bathing in culture or the Black Sea, Ukraine will deliver!

• get to know the local customs – a toast calls for downing your horilka in one gulp!
• discover a world of words on traditional dance and folk music
• experience the dazzling nightlife – talk your way into places-to-be
• decipher Cyrillic script on train tickets, street signs and menus
• learn the language with eay-to-use grammar and pronunciation

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 2nd edition (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740592379
• ISBN-13: 978-1740592376
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 3.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #764,370 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #22 in	Books > Travel > Europe > Belarus & Ukraine
  #100 in	Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Polyglot

• This item is part of The Lonely Planet Phrasebooks Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Bargain - Purchase This Book First, September 11, 2001

By	Geoff "geoff915" (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Ukrainian Phrasebook (Ukrainian Phrasebook, 1st ed) (Ukranian Edition) (Paperback)

This little book is terrific for anyone interested in the Ukrainian language. It has very good explanations of the alphabet and grammatical rules of Ukrainian. It also teaches MANY useful phrases and words for the traveler, and it gives phonetic pronunciations of every word and phrase (as well as the actual Cyrillic spelling).
I have a close friend in Ukraine who has told me that my pronunciation of the Ukrainian words (as they appear in this book) are perfect.
However, be certain of your purpose for using this book. If you want to learn to speak the Ukrainian language somewhat fluently, it will take a lot more than this book (but this book is an excellent starting point).
If you are simply planning to travel to one of the major Ukrainian cities (Kiev, Odessa, etc.) in the near future, you would probably be better off with the Russian version of this book instead of Ukrainian. Everybody in the major cities still speaks Russian as their primary language. Most of them understand Ukrainian, but Russian is still the first language for most people. I understand that this is slowly changing (universities, etc. are changing EVERYTHING over to Ukrainian). And if you plan to visit a small town in Ukraine, many of them speak ONLY Ukrainian. My suggestion is to get both the Ukrainian and the Russian versions, so you will be able to communicate clearly no matter where you are.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL RESOURCE!, October 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lonely Planet Ukrainian Phrasebook (Ukrainian Phrasebook, 1st ed) (Ukranian Edition) (Paperback)

My trip to Ukraine wouldn't have been the same without this wonderful little book. And Ukrainians were flattered that a foreigner tried speaking Ukrainian to them instead of Russian. It contains the phrases you need and easy to understand pronounciation guide. It really helped break the language barrier and I made new friends in a new country. The entire Lonely Planet series is the best among travel guides, and I've travelled a lot using various guides.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great quick-guide to Ukrainian language and culture., August 29, 2000

By	F. Orion Pozo "Orion Pozo" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lonely Planet Ukrainian Phrasebook (Ukrainian Phrasebook, 1st ed) (Ukranian Edition) (Paperback)

This pocket guide to Ukrainian was indispensible to me during my two week visit to this country. I carried it with me everywhere I went and consulted it almost constantly. In all that time it was always helpful and accurate. The only time it let me down was in drawing a distinction between a wild rabbit and a domestic one. Each word is given in the Ukrainian Cyrillic spelling and then in a phonetic transliteration with accented syllables in bold. Each section has an introductory piece that gives general background information. Useful phrases and sentences followed by a list of major relevant words complete each section. The end of the book has an English-Ukrainian vocabulary. A Ukrainian-English vocabulary would also have been useful, but would have repeated the vocabularies in each section. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Truly invaluable to the clueless traveler.