Russian and Ukrainian: 161 words that are the same
Among the two thousand words each language uses most, these are written identically and carry the same meaning in both. If you have one of the two, this is the part you do not have to learn.
Russian Ukrainian
A shared word is not proof of a shared root. Two languages can land on the same spelling by borrowing from a third — that is all tren and bomba are — and a word that looks the same can still be said quite differently. What this list is good for is the head start.
| Word | In English | Russian | Ukrainian |
|---|---|---|---|
| я | I | #1 | #1 |
| не | not | #2 | #2 |
| но | but, yet | #20 | #31 |
| к | to, toward | #37 | #73 |
| для | for | #38 | #28 |
| вас | you | #50 | #37 |
| нас | we | #52 | #36 |
| вам | you | #59 | #50 |
| нам | we | #66 | #52 |
| там | there | #68 | #43 |
| думаю | first-person singular present indicative imperfective of… | #86 | #72 |
| раз | once, one day, once upon a time | #90 | #93 |
| тут | here | #113 | #27 |
| моя | my, mine | #118 | #81 |
| один | one | #123 | #85 |
| люди | people, humans | #173 | #126 |
| точно | exactly, precisely, accurately | #178 | #146 |
| твоя | your, yours, thy, thine | #180 | #127 |
| назад | back, backward, backwards | #183 | #160 |
| два | two | #201 | #140 |
| людей | genitive/accusative of лю́ди | #208 | #130 |
| люблю | first-person singular present indicative imperfective of… | #211 | #178 |
| дома | at home | #225 | #335 |
| прямо | straight | #232 | #198 |
| найти | to find | #235 | #347 |
| сам | self, -self | #244 | #150 |
| три | three | #249 | #169 |
| вами | you | #262 | #186 |
| про | about, concerning | #268 | #35 |
| ваш | your, yours | #269 | #191 |
| завтра | tomorrow | #275 | #185 |
| наш | our, ours | #280 | #179 |
| мою | my, mine | #288 | #211 |
| кого | who | #289 | #206 |
| ваша | your, yours | #310 | #189 |
| нами | we | #316 | #195 |
| ясно | clearly | #330 | #245 |
| над | above, over | #335 | #232 |
| руки | genitive singular of рука́ | #355 | #244 |
| нормально | normally | #356 | #263 |
| ваше | your, yours | #368 | #361 |
| твою | your, yours, thy, thine | #377 | #254 |
| смерти | death | #407 | #642 |
| брат | brother | #410 | #269 |
| мир | peace | #413 | #561 |
| одного | genitive masculine/neuter singular | #420 | #188 |
| сама | self, -self | #436 | #273 |
| проблема | problem | #450 | #363 |
| одну | accusative feminine singular of оди́н | #456 | #292 |
| машину | accusative singular of маши́на | #464 | #317 |
| чувак | dude, guy, dawg | #487 | #390 |
| слова | genitive singular of сло́во | #498 | #323 |
| наша | our, ours | #501 | #312 |
| год | year | #514 | #887 |
| оба | both | #541 | #746 |
| алло | hello! | #577 | #398 |
| наших | our, ours | #580 | #386 |
| телефон | telephone | #595 | #500 |
| честь | honor | #597 | #497 |
| план | plan, scheme | #600 | #432 |
| правду | accusative singular of пра́вда | #609 | #444 |
| кому | who | #616 | #484 |
| сестра | sister | #617 | #525 |
| муж | husband | #667 | #817 |
| сами | self, -self | #675 | #1,335 |
| руку | accusative singular of рука́ | #682 | #424 |
| вашу | your, yours | #696 | #452 |
| мужчина | man | #711 | #997 |
| крови | blood | #722 | #765 |
| круто | steeply | #732 | #508 |
| вина | guilt, fault; blame | #738 | #634 |
| нашу | our, ours | #740 | #436 |
| шоу | show | #745 | #797 |
| проблем | genitive plural of пробле́ма | #753 | #496 |
| часто | frequently, often | #769 | #574 |
| наше | our, ours | #798 | #542 |
| образом | instrumental singular of о́браз | #801 | #1,332 |
| людям | dative of лю́ди | #806 | #586 |
| легко | lightly | #812 | #461 |
| агент | agent | #824 | #914 |
| самого | self, -self | #827 | #606 |
| маленький | little, small | #841 | #569 |
| школу | accusative singular of шко́ла | #842 | #691 |
| ваших | your, yours | #863 | #600 |
| абсолютно | absolutely | #886 | #562 |
| ноги | genitive singular of нога́ | #895 | #514 |
| президент | president | #920 | #1,008 |
| десять | ten | #925 | #599 |
| рано | early | #946 | #627 |
| брата | brother | #959 | #504 |
| одним | dative plural | #983 | #602 |
| голос | voice | #994 | #681 |
| вашим | your, yours | #1,027 | #948 |
| список | list, register, roll | #1,033 | #931 |
| дядя | uncle | #1,058 | #1,211 |
| сон | sleep | #1,066 | #663 |
| фото | photo, photograph | #1,081 | #730 |
| нашим | our, ours | #1,101 | #827 |
| слава | glory | #1,128 | #747 |
| команда | command, order | #1,132 | #813 |
| суд | court | #1,142 | #933 |
| неправильно | incorrectly, wrongly | #1,166 | #858 |
| ключ | key | #1,169 | #828 |
| рот | mouth | #1,178 | #1,126 |
| землю | accusative singular of земля́ | #1,182 | #594 |
| король | king | #1,210 | #506 |
| народ | people | #1,211 | #702 |
| секс | sex | #1,214 | #880 |
| сержант | sergeant | #1,296 | #1,519 |
| книгу | accusative singular of кни́га | #1,329 | #917 |
| лейтенант | lieutenant | #1,344 | #1,836 |
| сезон | season | #1,348 | #966 |
| голова | head | #1,350 | #700 |
| магазин | shop, store | #1,361 | #1,053 |
| маму | accusative singular of ма́ма | #1,373 | #742 |
| сюрприз | surprise | #1,391 | #1,030 |
| дорогу | accusative singular of доро́га | #1,394 | #873 |
| вода | water | #1,397 | #686 |
| книги | genitive singular | #1,403 | #1,108 |
| воду | accusative singular of вода́ | #1,454 | #719 |
| сил | genitive plural of си́ла | #1,465 | #1,089 |
| роль | role, part | #1,478 | #1,095 |
| вверх | upwards | #1,486 | #1,706 |
| закон | law | #1,489 | #1,205 |
| одному | dative masculine/neuter singular of оди́н | #1,503 | #675 |
| сто | hundred | #1,514 | #847 |
| сигнал | signal | #1,528 | #949 |
| секрет | secret | #1,538 | #1,433 |
| рук | genitive plural of рука́ | #1,556 | #1,067 |
| квартиру | accusative singular of кварти́ра | #1,560 | #1,058 |
| ублюдок | bastard | #1,570 | #1,662 |
| факт | fact | #1,598 | #1,208 |
| учитель | teacher, instructor | #1,601 | #1,867 |
| запах | smell, odor, scent | #1,612 | #1,116 |
| костюм | suit | #1,622 | #1,193 |
| море | sea | #1,628 | #1,274 |
| генерал | general | #1,635 | #1,740 |
| силу | accusative singular of си́ла | #1,646 | #993 |
| жертва | victim | #1,647 | #1,442 |
| собака | dog | #1,668 | #1,362 |
| доступ | access, admittance, admission | #1,682 | #1,304 |
| туалет | toilet, WC, restroom, lavatory | #1,684 | #1,262 |
| красиво | beautifully | #1,693 | #1,779 |
| книга | book | #1,709 | #1,154 |
| рука | hand | #1,722 | #1,060 |
| система | system | #1,731 | #1,282 |
| чай | tea | #1,742 | #1,061 |
| звук | sound | #1,752 | #1,041 |
| пиво | beer | #1,766 | #1,185 |
| команду | accusative singular of кома́нда | #1,771 | #1,456 |
| солдат | soldier | #1,774 | #1,376 |
| короля | genitive/accusative singular of коро́ль | #1,776 | #673 |
| земля | earth | #1,810 | #895 |
| президента | genitive/accusative singular of президе́нт | #1,834 | #1,508 |
| тест | test | #1,853 | #1,572 |
| код | code | #1,856 | #1,309 |
| холодно | coldly | #1,943 | #1,133 |
| руками | instrumental plural of рука́ | #1,944 | #1,268 |
| урок | lesson | #1,969 | #1,285 |
| люк | hatch, hatchway | #1,974 | #1,481 |
| роман | novel | #1,996 | #1,594 |
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.