How to politely suggest switching from Ви to ти
Understanding Ukrainian: Formal vs Informal Language Use: How to politely suggest switching from Ви to ти
To politely suggest switching from the formal “Ви” to the informal “ти” in Ukrainian or Russian, one can use gentle, respectful phrases that offer the change rather than impose it. Common polite ways to suggest this include:
- “Мо́жна на ‘ти’?” (May we switch to ‘ти’?)
- “Ви не про́ти, якщо́ ми пере́йдемо́ на ‘ти’?” (Would you mind if we switch to ‘ти’?)
- “Пропону́ю перейти́ на ‘ти’.” (I suggest switching to ‘ти’.)
- “Дава́йте на ‘ти’.” (Let’s switch to ‘ти’.)
It is generally considered polite and acceptable to ask for permission this way; refusal should be respected as a sign that it might be too early or the other person prefers to keep the distance. Typically, the person of higher status or older age may offer this switch first, and it is seen as impolite to refuse such an offer when it comes from them. This approach works similarly in both Ukrainian and Russian social etiquette regarding formal and informal address forms.