6.2 Popular occupations
Look at Table 7, covering popular occupations.
| Male | Female | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Школяр shkoliar | школярка shkoliarka | schoolboy / schoolgirl |
| студент student | студентка studentka | student |
| учитель uchytel | учителька uchytelka | teacher |
| лікар likar | лікарка likarka | doctor |
| медбрат medbrat | медсестра medsestra | nurse |
| юрист yuryst | юристка yurystka | lawer |
| актор actor | акторка aktorka | actor |
| журналіст zhurnalist | журналістка zhurnalistka | journalist |
| програміст prohramist | програмістка prohramistka | programmer |
| кухар kukhar | кухарка kukharka* | cook |
| офіціант ofitsiant | офіціантка ofitsiantka | waiter /waitress |
| перукар perukar | перукарка perukarka | hairdresser |
| майстер манікюру maister manikiuru | манікюрниця manikiurnytsia майстер манікюру | nail technician |
| будівельник budivelnyk | будівельниця budivelnytsia | builder |
| інженер inzhener | інженерка inzhenerka* | engineer |
| пенсіонер pensioner | пенсіонерка pensionerka | pensioner |
| безробітний bezrobitnyi | безробітна bezrobitna | unemployed |
Footnotes
*See Audio 37 for an explanation.Now listen to the pronunciation. I’m going to say the male version first and the female one second for each profession. Try repeating them when you hear a pause.
Transcript: Audio 36
Audio 36 transcript
Now listen to the pronunciation. I’m going to say the male version first and the female one second for each profession. Each sentence starts with ya ‘I am.’ Try repeating them when you hear a pause.
| Я школяр Ya shkoliar | Я школярка Ya shkoliarka |
| Я студент Ya student | Я студентка Ya studentka |
| Я учитель Ya uchytel | Я учителька Ya uchytelka |
| Я лікар Ya likar | Я лікарка Ya likarka |
| Я медбрат Ya medbrat | Я медсестра Ya medsestra |
| Я юрист Ya yuryst | Я юристка Ya yurystka |
| Я актор Ya aktor | Я акторка Ya aktorka |
| Я журналіст Ya zhurnalist | Я журналістка Ya zhurnalistka |
| Я програміст Ya prohramist | Я програмістка Ya prohramistka |
| Я кухар Ya kukhar | Я кухарка Ya kukharka |
| Я офіціант Ya ofitsiant | Я офіціантка Ya ofitsiantka |
| Я перукар Ya perukar | Я перукарка Ya perukarka |
| ––– | Я манікюрниця Ya manikiurnytsia |
| Я будівельник Ya budivelnyk | ––– |
| Я інженер Ya inzhener | Я інженерка Ya inzhenerka* |
| Я пенсіонер Ya pensioner | Я пенсіонерка Ya pensionerka |
| Я безробітний Ya bezrobitnyi | Я безробітна Ya bezrobitna |
Footnotes
*See audio explanation in Audio 37.Transcript: Audio 37
Take a closer look (Audio 37 transcript)
Let’s look closer on these words. As you have noticed, most female versions of professions finish with -ka, like shkoliarka, likarka, perukarka. Some of them end on -nytsia, like in manikiurnytsia.
Words shkoliar, shkoliarka resemble English word ‘scholar’ but denote quite different stage of education and mean ‘schoolboy’ and ‘schoolgirl’.
Word ‘nurse’ in Ukrainian literally means ‘medical sister’ (medsestra) or ‘medical brother’ (medbrat).
Since nail technicians in Ukraine are women (at least I have never seen a male nail technician there), word manikiurnytsia is used in female form, while budivelnyk (‘builder’) is normally used in male form because this job is usually performed by men. Inzhener (‘engineer’) is a foreign word which is normally used in a male form. Many female engineers prefer to be called inzhener, because inzhenerka sounds colloquial. Although women work as cooks, female version of this profession kukharka sounds colloquial and not very respectful, in terms of their professional level as female cooks. Female chefs prefer to be called kukhar like their male colleagues.
Word перукар perukar comes from Italian where parrucca means wig.
I hope these comments will help you to understand and remember names of professions in Ukrainian!