(the) Urkaine

[Verona_82]

Hello,

My American friend corrected me when I said I was going to Ukraine on holiday; it should be "the Ukraine", she said. I've never heard the article used before the name of the country on the BBC. I've scoured the forum and had a look at previous threads. However, the question remains unanswered for me. I see 'the' in my books and don't hear it on the radio. Which do you say/hear more often?

Which do you teach?

Thank you.

 

[bhaisahab]

Hello,

My American friend corrected me when I said I was going to Ukraine on holiday; it should be "the Ukraine", she said. I've never heard the article used before the name of the country on the BBC. I've scoured the forum and had a look at previous threads. However, the question remains unanswered for me. I see 'the' in my books and don't hear it on the radio. Which do you say/hear more often?

Which do you teach?

Thank you.

It used to be known as "The Ukraine", now "Ukraine" is usual. (BrE)

 

[5jj]

Although it is commonly referred to in English as 'The Ukraine', it should be only 'Ukraine'. see: · 1.1 Etymology

 

[Barb_D]

Your American friend is out of date.

 

[ostap77]

Your American friend is out of date.

I'll just back you up there by saying "Go to the White House official website" It's Ukraine and Kyiv not "Kiev".

 

[TheParser]

Hello,

My American friend corrected me when I said I was going to Ukraine on holiday; it should be "the Ukraine", she said. I've never heard the article used before the name of the country on the BBC. I've scoured the forum and had a look at previous threads. However, the question remains unanswered for me. I see 'the' in my books and don't hear it on the radio. Which do you say/hear more often?

Which do you teach?

Thank you.

REMINDER: NOT A TEACHER


(1) You young people, of course, do not realize that when people such as I were

young, we regularly used "the" before the names of some countries:

The Ukraine

The Sudan

The Lebanon

The Yemen

The Ivory Coast

(2) And, of course, we always referred to the U.S.S.R.

(3) Today, we still always refer to the Philippines.

(4) I do not claim to be a Spanish speaker, but I do know that they used to

use the definite article for countries, such as La Argentina and el Peru. They also

used to refer to los Estados Unidos (the United States). But now it is just

Estados Unidos.

(5) Personally, I wish we still used the definite article. "The Lebanon" sounds so

much more romantic and exotic than simply "Lebanon."