6 Ukrainian Swearing for aggressive self love
so next time you'll have what to say to your inner critic
What if I told you you could use Ukrainian swearing to love yourself more ?
Yes you read that right. You see I believe Swearing words got a bad rep. We mostly reserve them for most painful moments, see them as sign of intellectual weakness and something to be ashamed of. Mainly because (we’ve been told) it shows our messier,
our dirtier side.
But if I told you it could so much more?
A weapon we can throw in the face of those who wrong us.
A tool to empower us.
A friend sitting there with us in the most darkest moments to remind us we are
enough.
Because you are.
And now you can
Vid’yibats’ vid sebe - від’їбатись від себе - vi as in victory + d + yi as in yield + buh+ ty where y is closer to how i sounds in Tina by wider + softened s
How charged it is: 🔥🔥🔥
Could be used in meaning ‘to give yourself a break’.
Yes, you.
I know you’re doing it. We all are doing it.
You can say it to yourself - and add casual version vid’yibys’ vid sebe / від’їбись від себе , to remind to cut yourself some slack in the same way you show compassion to others.
You could say it to person you love.
You could say it so someone you respect - but then you probably want to add respectful form to the verb - plural : it’s gonna be vib’yibit’sia vid sebe / від’їбіться від себе .
Mantra away.
Ne zayobuy - Не зайобуй - neh-zah-yo-boo-y
How charged it is: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Use it when you want people to stop bugging you. Is considered pretty charged - which makes it perfect here. Feel free to say it to you inner critic, every time it tries to belittle you. Or to your anxiety or fear if they’re getting in your way of doing something you want.
Baba z vozu (kobyli lehshe)- баба з возу (кобилі легше) - buh+buh+ z + voh+ zu + koh+by (y likę in Tina but wider) +lee+ la like in layer + h+sheh like in shed
My mom's favourite. Use it when you want to say (with a tad of an attitude) that whatever happened 1) you don’t care about 2) is actually good and makes it easier for you now. Basically means ‘one problem less’, but with a swag . You could say just the first part - 'baba z vozu’, like you’d do with idioms like two birds (with one stone) - it would do the trick. Translated from Ukrainian means ‘the old lady off from the cart - easier for the mare’ and literally means when you get reed of something that was making it harder for you, of a burden or unsolicited advisers.
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Ta pokhui - та похуй - ta poh+who+y (y as ending in ‘may’)
How charged it is: 🔥🔥🔥
For when you want to show that you don’t care. Especially if, say, an inner voice is trying to scare you with imaginary catastrophe.
Works better with some hand gesturing.
Be creative
Variation:
ta do sraky - та до сраки - tuh + doh- srah-ky-
How charged it is: 🔥🔥
Same but using slightly less charged swearing ‘srakah’ , means ‘ass’, but in Ukrainian swearing is closer to ‘clusterfuck’ on swearing spectrum. Here, though, it does means an ass. Sometimes Ukrainian language works in mysterious ways.
5. Zayibálo - заїбало - zuh + yie +buh + loh
How charged it is: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Has strong drama potential. When used means something pissed you off to the extent that you’re totally fed up with it. Usually is said in exhausted whispering fashion. Important role: could be used as a marker of you being tired of something or someone, and that you might wanna consider change.
Could be used about people or even in the face of a person - but this one is quite charged, so remember to use it wisely.
To amplify:
add nakhui - нахуй nuh+who+y (y as ending in ‘may’ ) - when something pissed you off a lot. Pretty charged, so use it wisely.
6. Zayibis - заїбісь - zuh+yie + bee+s’ (soft ‘s’)
How charged it is: 🔥🔥🔥
The yang of zayibalo. It basically means a state when everything is just right.
You know that feeling ?
If not, then go and do something that is zayibis’ for you like right now. It could be something small, like that perfect cup of coffee. But do it today. Do it right now.
It’s worth it.
And let the Swearing Force with you.
My aim is to share Ukrainian swearings with everyone - as a tool for personal liberation, to regulate our emotions and to empower us when we need it most - as well as a way to remind about Ukraine and the continuous Russian invasion of my home .
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